*>t; 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF.  CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


THE    THERAPEUTICS    OF 

MINERAL    SPRINGS 

AND 

CLIMATES 


THE    THERAPEUTICS 

OF 

MINERAL  SPRINGS 
AND  CLIMATES 


BY 

I.  BURNEY  YEO,  M.D.,  F.R.C.P. 

Emeritus  Professor  of  Medicine  in  King's  College,  London 

Consulting/  Physician  to  King's  College  Hospital 

Hon.  Fellow  of  King's  College;   formerly 

Professor  of  the  Principles  and  Practice  of  Medicine 

and  of  Clinical  Therapeutics  in  King's  College,  and 

Examiner  in  Medicine  at  the  Royal  College  of  Physicians 

Author  of  "A  Manual  of  Medical  Treatment" 
"Food  in  Health  and  Disease"  etc.  etc. 


NEW   YORK 
FUNK  AND  WAGNALLS  COMPANY 

1910 


-/?/}  733 


PREFACE. 


THE  author  in  his  "  Manual  of  Medical  Treatment " 
has  dealt  generally  with  the  subject  of  Clinical  or 
Practical  Therapeutics  ;  in  his  work  on  "  Food  in  Health 
and  Disease  "he  has  treated  specially  of  the  Thera- 
peutics of  Food  ;  in  the  present  volume  he  has  taken  for 
his  subject  "  The  Therapeutics  of  Mineral  Springs  and 
Climates."  These  three  works  therefore  cover  a  large 
portion  of  the  wide  field  of  practical  Therapeutics. 

The  use  and  selection  of  baths  and  climates  in  the 
treatment  of  Disease  are  topics  which  have  long  engaged 
the  attention  of  the  author  ;  indeed,  the  present  work 
is  founded  on  an  earlier  treatise  of  his  on  u  Climate  and 
Health  Resorts/'  which  has  been  many  years  out  of  print. 
A  long  self-imposed  winter  holiday  has  afforded  the  author 
the  leisure  needed  to  revise,  re-model,  and,  to  a  great 
extent,  re-write  the  former  work  so  as  to  render  it  more 
systematic,  complete,  and  helpful  as  a  guide  to  the 
selection,  for  invalids,  of  suitable 'resorts  for  climatic  or 
mineral-water  treatment. 

This  work  is  divided  into  two  parts.  The  first  is 
devoted  to  the  study  of  mineral  springs  ;  and  as  the 
introductory  chapters  are  concerned  with  certain  general 
considerations,  including  the  classification  of  mineral 
waters,  it  has  been  possible  to  adopt  the  obviously 
convenient  plan  of  describing  the  vast  number  of 
mineral-water  resorts  in  alphabetical  order,  and  those 
resorts  that  have  appeared,  for  various  reasons,  to  be  of 
minor  importance  to  English  invalids  have  been  printed, 
in  smaller  type,  at  the  end  of  each  alphabetical  group, 
and  described  as  briefly  as  possible. 

The  second  part  is  concerned  with  the  subject  of 
Climates.  It  has  no  pretension  to  be  a  systematic  or 
exhaustive  treatise  on  climatology.  (The  reader  who 
desires  to  consult  such  a  work  must  be  referred  to 
Professor  Kami's  u  Handbook  of  Climatology,"  an 


1^356126 


vi  PREFACE. 

English  translation  of  which,  by  Ward,  has  been  pub- 
lished by  Macmillan,  New  York,  1903.)  But  this  part 
follows  more  closely  the  method  adopted  by  the  author 
in  his  former  work,  and  its  chief  object  is  to  serve  as  a 
practical  guide  to  the  characters  and  applicability  of  such 
climatic  resorts  as  are  fairly  accessible  to  and  likely  to 
be  visited  by  English  invalids. 

With  regard  to  the  mode  of  action  of  natural 
mineral  waters,  there  is  a  manifest  tendency  in  the 
present  day  to  look  upon  this  subject  from  a  wider  point 
of  view  than  that  which  has  hitherto  been  furnished  by 
available  chemical  analyses.  In  a  recent  article  in  the 
Lancet  (January  3Oth,  1904)  it  is  pointed  out,  with  truth, 
"  that  the  effects  of  the  salts  in  natural  mineral  waters 
are  such  as  cannot  be  obtained  from  any  artificial 
imitation  of  them,"  and  it  is  aptly  suggested  that  the 
"  newly-discovered  property  of  radio-activity  which  is  in 
all  probability  possessed  by  all  natural  waters "  may 
account  for  much  that  has  hitherto  seemed  unaccount- 
able, especially  in  the  action  of  the  so-called  "  in- 
different "  springs.  Professor  Oscar  Liebreich  has  also 
expressed  his  belief  "  that  minimal  quantities  of  sub- 
stances in  mineral  waters  may  be  of  importance,"  and 
speaks  of  the  "  fallacy  of  the  old-fashioned  notion  that 
springs,  the  chief  ingredients  of  which  are  the  same, 
have  the  same  therapeutic  effect  even  though  differing 
in  some  minor  ingredients  ; "  and  he  also  refers  to  the 
fact  that  two  mineral  waters,  otherwise  identical,  will 
be  found  to  differ  as  regards  electrical  conductibility. 
More  remarkable  still  is  the  conclusion,  arrived  at  by 
experimental  physiologists,  that  absolutely  pure  water — 
that  is,  water  without  traces  of  mineral  substances — is 
poisonous  ! 

But  the  time  is  not  yet  ripe  for  any  positive, 
practical  pronouncement  on  this  subject.  We  must  be 
content  to  wait  until  further  scientific  research,  com- 
bined with  wider  experience,  shall  afford  us  more  reliable 
data. 

HERTFORD  STREET,  MAYFAIR 
March,  1904. 


CONTENTS. 

Part  1. 

MINERAL  SPRINGS. 
SECTION  A. 

INTRODUCTORY. 
CHAPTER    t. 

PAGE 

THE     NATURE,     COMPOSITION,     AND     CLASSIFICATION     OF 

MINERAL  SPRINGS         .......          i 

CHAPTER   II. 

MODES  OF  APPLICATION  AND  ACTION  OF  MINERAL  WATERS        22 
CHAPTER  III. 

ACCESSORY    MEASURES    EMPLOYED    IN    CONNECTION    WITH 

MINERAL- WATER  CURES      ......        43 

SECTION    B. 

DESCRIPTION     OF    THE    PRINCIPAL    MINERAL    SPRINGS    (IN 

ALPHABETICAL  ORDER) 52 

SECTION    C. 

THE    APPLICATION   OF    MINERAL   WATERS    AND   BATHS    TO 

THE  ALLEVIATION  AND  CURE  OF  DISEASE  .        .      382 

Part  ii. 

CLIMATE  AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

CHAPTER    I. 
CLIMATE  AND  CLIMATES        .......      457 

CHAPTER    II. 
SEA  OR  MOUNTAIN  ? 478 


viii  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    III. 

PAGE 

SEASIDE  RESORTS  IN  THE  UNITED  KINGDOM         .        .        .      492 

CHAPTER   IV. 
CONTINENTAL  SEASIDE  RESORTS 538 

CHAPTER   V. 

MOUNTAIN  CLIMATIC  RESORTS  :  ST.  MORITZ  AND  THE 
ENGADINE — DAVOS  PLATZ,  AND  THE  MOUNTAIN-AIR 
CURE  FOR  CONSUMPTION 555 

CHAPTER    VI. 

OTHER   MOUNTAIN    HEALTH   RESORTS  :    FOR   WINTER   AND 

SUMMER  CURES     ........       581 

CHAPTER    VII. 
WINTER  QUARTERS  :  A  REVIEW  OF  SOME  WINTER  HEALTH 

RESORTS        .         .         ...         .         .         .        .       609 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
THE  WESTERN  RIVIERA  :   A  STUDY  OF  ITS  CLIMATE  AND  A 

SURVEY  OF  ITS  PRINCIPAL  RESORTS          ....     665 

CHAPTER   IX. 
SEA  VOYAGES,  AND  SOME  DISTANT  CLIMATIC  RESORTS       .      697 

CHAPTER   X. 

THE  APPLICATION  AND  SELECTION  OF  CLIMATES — TREAT- 
MENT IN  AND  LIST  OF  SANATORIA  ....  715 

INDEX  TO  PART  I .      747 

II.  755 


(f)at*  I. 

MINERAL    SPRINGS. 

SECTION  A. 
INTRODUCTORY. 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE   NATURE,  COMPOSITION,  AND   CLASSIFICATION 
OF   MINERAL   SPRINGS. 

DEALING  first  with  the  nature  of  mineral  springs, 
we  may  point  out  that,  strictly  speaking,  all  waters 
found  in  nature  are  mineral  waters,  for  as  water  is 
a  universal  solvent,  even  rain  water,  which  is  the 
purest  natural  water  known,  contains  minute  amounts 
of  mineral  substances  and  gases  in  solution,  which  it 
meets  with  in  the  atmosphere. 

All  springs  are  dependent  on  rain.  A  portion  of 
the  rain  which  falls  on  the  surface  of  the  earth  sinks, 
into  the  soil,  and  thus  there  exists,  in  a  greater  or 
less  proportion,  in  different  districts,  masses  or 
accumulations  of  subterranean  water.  Springs  are 
the  outflow  of  this  subterranean  water  from  openings, 
natural  or  artificial,  made  on  the  surface  of  the 
ground. 

All  springs,  then,  are  more  or  less  mineral  springs, 
and  contain  mineral  substances  which  the  rain  water 
has  dissolved  in  its  passage  from  the  surface,  through 
the  porous  or  soluble  substances  it  has  encountered  in 
its  subterranean  course. 

Here  and  there  the  surface  water  finds  its  way 
down  to  great  depths  in  the  earth,  into  those  intensely 
hot  regions  from  which  lava  streams  proceed,  and  we 
may  conclude  that  hot  (thermal)  springs  have  a 


2  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

deeper  origin  in  the  earth  than  cold  springs,  and  that 
the  hotter  the  spring  is,  the  greater  is  the  depth  from 
which  it  flows.  It  is  also  highly  probable  that  at 
those  great  depths  a  part  of  the  water  may  be 
decomposed  by  the  intense  heat,  and  forced  to  enter 
into  chemical  combination  with  parts  of  the  melted 
rocks,  etc.,  and  thus  many  of  the  gaseous  and  solid 
substances  found  in  mineral  waters  may  originate. 

It  is  obvious  that  the  nature  and  amount  of  the 
mineral  substances  found  in  solution  in  natural  springs 
will  depend  on  the  nature  of  the  soil,  or  the  structure 
and  composition  of  the  subterranean  rocks  through 
which  the  water  of  these  springs  has  percolated. 

In  ordinary  spring  water  the  mineral  substances 
most  commonly  found  are  salts  of  lime,  chiefly  the 
bicarbonate  and  sulphate,  and,  in  smaller  proportions, 
often  some  salts  of  soda  and  magnesia,  and  espe- 
cially sodium  chloride.  In  limestone  districts  the 
amount  of  lime  salts  in  the  "  spring  "  water  is  occa- 
sionally considerable,  imparting  to  the  water  what  is 
known  as  "  hardness."  In  some  instances  the  amount 
of  lime  salts  in  such  springs  will  reach  to  two  parts 
in  1,000  !  Now,  when  one  considers  that  the  cele- 
brated Pavilion  spring  at  Contrexeville  contains  only 
2 '4  per  1,000  of  mineral  constituents,  and  that  2  of 
these  consist  of  sulphate  and  bicarbonate  of  lime— 
the  very  same  constituents  which  we  find  in  our  hard 
" spring"  waters — it  will  be  seen  how  difficult  it 
sometimes  is  to  define  and  distinguish  a  so-called 
"  mineral "  water  from  ordinary  spring  water  by  its 
chemical  composition.  This  is  even  more  strikingly 
manifest  in  connection  with  " mineral"  springs  or 
very  feeble  mineralisation,  such,  for  example,  as 
the  Evian  water,  the  total  mineralisation  of  which 
is  represented  by  0*5  per  1,000,  and  this  consists 
chiefly  of  carbonate  of  lime. 

It  has  always  been  recognised  that  "  thermality," 
the  possession  simply  of  a  high  temperature,  brings  a 
spring  into  the  category  of  mineral  waters,  but  the 
Evian  waters  are  cold. 


SECT.  A.]  COMPOSITION.  3 

"  Mineral  "springs  have  been  defined  as  those  which 
contain  a  sufficient  amount  of  mineral  substances  to 
make  them  taste  of  them,  or  to  deposit  them  as  they 
evaporate  on  objects  around ;  but  many  popular 
mineral  springs  do  neither. 

For  our  present  purpose  we  may  define  a  mineral 
water,  or  as  it  is  sometimes  termed,  a  " medicinal" 
water,  as  a  water  which  either  from  its  chemical 
composition  or  its  thermality,  or  some  other  quality 
which  experience  has  proved  it  to  possess,  is  found 
useful  in  the  treatment  of  disease.  We  must  re- 
member that  even  the  absence  of  mineral  con- 
stituents, in  the  most  feebly  mineralised  springs, 
may  be  of  importance,  in  some  instances,  on  account 
of  the  greater  purity  of  the  water  and  its  increased 
solvent  power. 

Next,  as  to  the  composition  of  mineral  springs. 
In  the  first  place  salts  of  lime  are  especially  common, 
more  particularly  the  carbonate  and  sulphate ;  there 
is  scarcely  a  spring  into  the  composition  of  which 
these  compounds  do  not  enter  in  greater  or  less  pro- 
portion. Salts  of  sodium  also  are  very  common — 
common  salt  (sodium  chloride)  is  a  predominating 
ingredient  in  a  vast  number  of  mineral  springs. 
Sodium  sulphate  and  sodium  carbonate  are  also 
frequently  met  with.  Magnesium  salts,  especially 
the  sulphate  (Epsom  salts),  are  also  common. 

Potassium  salts  are  less  frequently  met  with,  but 
potassium  sulphate  is  often  found  in  combination 
with  sodium  and  magnesium  sulphates.  Iron  com- 
pounds, in  small  amounts,  are  very  common  ingredients 
in  mineral  springs,  and  in  some  they  are  present  in 
sufficient  quantity  to  give  them  distinctive  therapeutic 
properties.  The  carbonates  of  iron  are  the  most 
widely  diffused  ferruginous  compounds,  but  the 
sulphates,  the  chloride,  and  the  crenate  are  also 
found. 

Silica  in  small  amount  occurs  in  many  springs.  In 
waters  containing  sodium  chloride  in  notable  amount 


4  MINERAL    SPRINGS,  [PART  i. 

other  chlorides  are  often  found  associated  with  it, 
some  only  in  small  proportions,  such  as  the  chlorides 
of  calcium,  magnesium,  potassium,  lithium,  ammo- 
nium, manganese,  strontium  and  barium. 

Iodine  and  bromine  in  small  amount  are  some- 
times found  in  the  same  class  of  waters,  usually  in 
combination  with  sodium,  potassium,  and  mag- 
nesium. 

Sulphur  in  " sulphur"  waters  usually  occurs  as 
sulphuretted  hydrogen  or  some  other  binary  com- 
pound, as  sulphide  of  sodium  or  calcium. 

Arsenic  is  an  important  element  in  a  limited 
number  of  springs,  and  is  most  frequently  found  com- 
bined with  sodium,  calcium,  magnesium,  or  iron. 

Compounds  of  copper,  cobalt,  and  nickel  are 
occasionally  found,  and  traces,  but  very  rarely,  of 
caesium  and  rubidium. 

Nitrates,  phosphates  and  borates  are  occasionally, 
but  not  frequently,  met  with. 

Bituminous  substances  are  found  in  certain  springs ; 
in  the  Salso  Maggiore  springs  there  is  a  considerable 
amount  of  petroleum. 

Organic  substances  conferring  an  unctuous  pro- 
perty upon  the  water  are  found  in  many  of  the  French 
springs,  chiefly  the  thermal  sulphur  springs,  as  at 
Bareges  in  the  Pyrenees,  and  hence  such  substances 
are  termed  baregine,  but  sometimes  glairine. 

Of  the  gases  found  in  mineral  waters,  carbonic 
acid  and  sulphuretted  hydrogen  are  of  chief  import- 
ance. Free  oxygen  and  nitrogen  are  also  of  common 
occurrence,  and  the  new  element  argon  is  often 
found  in  those  waters  that  are  rich  in  nitrogen  ; 
traces  of  helium  have  been  found  under  the  same 
circumstances. 

Inflammable  gases  are  occasionally  found  in  some 
mineral  springs,  as  at  Salso  Maggiore  (methane  and 
ethane)  and  a  few  other  less  well-known  waters. 

The  temperature  of  mineral  waters  varies  greatly, 
and  a  certain  degree  of  thermality  is  usually  a  valuable 
quality  in  a  mineral  spring.  Some  springs  issue  from 


SECT.  A.]  CLASSIFICATION.  5 

the  earth  at  the  temperature  of  boiling  water — this  is 
the  case  with  the  Great  Geyser  of  Iceland ;  but  there 
are  springs  in  France  which  reach  a  temperature  of 
1 80°  F.  (Chaudes  Aigues),  and  in  Germany  of 
167°  (Aix  la  Chapelle),  and  in  this  country  of  120° 
(Bath).  The  Carlsbad  Sprudel  has  a  temperature  of 
162-5°  F.  Some  very  hot  springs  are  found  in  Russia. 

With  regard  to  the  classification  of  mineral  waters, 
any  attempt  at  a  strictly  scientific  or  precis 3  classifi- 
cation of  mineral  springs  is  out  of  the  question,  owing 
to  the  complexity  of  their  constitution  and  the  great 
variety  of  their  constituents,  both  qualitative  and 
quantitative. 

The  well-known  French  spa  Royat  affords  a 
striking  example.  By  some  authors  it  is  classed 
amongst  the  "muriated  alkaline  waters,"  but  this 
gives  no  indication  of  the  fact  that  the  water  contains 
arsenic,  iron  and  lithium.  The  French,  in  order  to  be 
more  precise,  class  it  under  the  long  and  awkward 
denomination  Qf"thermale  alcalineygaseuse,  chloruree- 
sodique,ferro-arsenicaly  et  lithince"  / 

Some  grouping,  however,  of  those  mineral  springs 
which  are  related  in  composition,  as  well  as  in  physio- 
logical or  remedial  action,  is  needful,  and  we  shall 
adopt  that  mode  of  classifying  them  in  this  work 
which  we  consider  the  most  simple  and  practically 
useful.  But  in  any  classification  the  grouping  will 
be  to  a  great  extent  artificial,  and  the  several  groups 
will  be  found  to  overlap  and  to  be  somewhat  ill- 
defined.  It  is  in  the  nature  of  the  case  that  it  should 
be  so.  Attempts  have  been  made  at  much  more 
elaborate  classification  and  sub-division,  but  we  think 
they  will  be  found  in  practice  only  confusing  and 
embarrassing. 

There  are  two  terms  commonly  used  in  the  classifi- 
cation of  mineral  waters  which  we  propose  to  discard, 
the  one  as  obsolete  and  the  other  as  misleading. 
The  first  of  these  is  the  term  "  muriated,"  applied  to 
waters  containing  common  salt  or  common  salt  with 


6  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

other  chlorides.  As  this  term  is  no  longer  used  in 
chemistry  or  pharmacy,  we  do  not  think  it  should 
be  retained  in  modern  works  dealing  with  the  descrip- 
tion or  classification  of  mineral  waters,  and  we  propose 
to  use  the  terms  "  common  salt "  or  "  chloride "  or 
"mixed  chlorides,"  as  may  seem  most  appropriate, 
in  its  place.  The  other  term,  "  acidulous,"  is  applied 
in  Germany  to  all  mineral  waters  containing  much 
free  carbonic  acid  gas — and  many  of  these  waters 
are  highly  alkaline  ;  we  therefore  prefer  to  use  the 
term  "gaseous,"  which  conveys  no  impression  of 
acidity  as  the  word  acidulous  certainly  does. 

The  following  is  the  classification,  we  believe, 
that  will  be  found  the  most  simple  and  conve- 
nient :— 

i.  Simple  or  "indifferent"  thermal  waters,  the 
"  acrato-thermal "  *  waters  of  the  Germans.  These 
are  characterised  by  their  high  temperature,  vary- 
ing from  about  80°  to  150°  F.,  by  their  very  feeble 
mineralisation,  and  by  their  great  softness.  They 
are  sometimes  termed  "  indifferent  springs,"  on 
account  of  the  absence  of  any  special  mineralisa- 
tion ;  and  sometimes,  as  they  are  often  found  in  wild, 
romantic,  wooded  districts,  they  have  been  termed 
"  wildbdder"  "  wild-baths."  They  are  rarely  used 
internally,  and  if  so  employed  they  are  simply  in- 
tended to  exert  a  solvent  purifying  influence. 

As  baths  they  are  very  largely  employed,  and 
some  of  the  most  frequented  spas  of  Europe  come 
into  this  group. 

The  following  belong  to  this  class  :— 


GREAT   BRITAIN. 

Bath.  Mallow  (co.  Cork). 

Buxton.  Matlock  Bath. 

Bakewell. 

*  aKparos  (/cepai/i/uyui),  unmixed— a  poor  term. 


SECT.  A.]  CLASSIFICATION.  ; 

FRANCE. 

Aix  en  Provence.  Evaux  les  Bains. 

Alet.  Luxeuil. 

Avene.  Neris. 

Bagneres-de-Bigorre.  Plombieres. 

Bagnoles  de  1'Orne.  Rennes  les  Bains. 

Bains  les  Bains.  Sail  les  Bains. 

Campagne  sur  Aude.  St.  Amand. 

Chaudes  Aigues.  St.  Laurent  les  Bains. 

Dax.  Ussat. 

GERMANY  AND  AUSTRIA. 

Badenweiler.  Schlangenbad. 

Brennerbad.  Salzbach. 

Buda-Pest.  Teplitz. 

Gastein.  Topelbad. 

Johannisbad.  Veldes. 

Krapina-Toplitz.  Villach. 

Landeck.  Voeslau. 

Liebenzell.  j  Warmbrunn. 

Neuhaus.  Wiesenbad. 

Romerbad.  Wildbad. 

ITALY. 

Battaglia.  Pozzuoli. 

Bormio.  Prc  Saint- Didier. 

Ischia.  Valdieri. 

Monsumanno.  Vicarello. 

SWITZERLAND. 
Loeche  les  Bains.  Ragatz. 

SPAIN  AND   PORTUGAL. 

Caldas  de  Gerez.  Panticosa. 

Caldas  de  Oviedo.  Sacedon. 

Fitero. 

BELGIUM. 

Chaude-fontaine. 

Owing  to  the  difficulty  in  referring  many  of  the 
foregoing  to  any  particular  group,  some  of  the  French 
authors  describe  these,  as  well  as  certain  others,  as 
"  eaux  indeterminees." 


MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

2.  Common  salt  waters — the  "muriated"  waters 
of  some  authors — the  "  chloruree-sodique  "  of  French 
writers.  The  term  "  Salins  "  is  often  applied  in  France 
to  the  places  in  which  these  springs  occur,  as  "  Salins 
Moutiers,"  "  Salins  de  Jura/'  etc. 

This  is  a  very  large  and  somewhat  artificial  class. 
Owing  to  the  great  diffusion  of  common  salt  in  nature, 
it  is  found  in  varying  quantities  in  a  vast  number  of 
mineral  springs,  many  of  which  contain  other  and 
more  important  constituents. 

This  class  includes  hot  springs  like  Wiesbaden 
and  cold  springs  like  Homburg.  It  comprises  springs 
or  wells  varying  in  strength  from  2  parts  of  common 
salt  in  1,000  (Baden-Baden)  to  over  300  parts  in 
i  ,000  (Droitwich).  The  stronger  waters  are  termed 
"brines,"  or  "soolen,"  and  they  are  used  to  prepare 
brine  baths,  or  "soolbader."  Some  of  these  springs 
are  highly  gaseous  as  well  as  hot  (Nauheim),  and 
are  given  as  gaseous  (effervescent)  "thermal  sool- 
bader." 

In  many  of  these  springs  other  chlorides  are 
present  as  well  as  sodium  chloride,  such  as  chlorides 
of  magnesium,  calcium,  lithium,  etc.  ;  hence  the 
term  "muriated"  has  been  applied  to  this  class  to 
indicate  that  its  chief  characteristic  is  the  possession 
of  chlorides,  or  muriates,  as  they  used  to  be  called. 
But  instead  of  this  term  we  propose,  as  we  have  said, 
to  use  the  modern  term  "  chlorides,"  and  sometimes 
for  greater  precision  "  mixed  chlorides." 

We  shall,  therefore,  term  the  springs  of  this 
class  either  "  common  salt "  waters,  or  "  sodium 
chloride  "  waters,  or  "  chloride  "  or  "  mixed  chloride  " 
waters. 

Some  of  the  springs  of  this  group  contain  bromides 
and  iodides  in  small  amount,  and  are  therefore  spoken 
of  as  bromo-iodide  waters,  as  Woodhall  Spa  in  this 
country,  Bad-Hall  in  Upper  Austria,  Wildegg  in 
Switzerland,  Kreuznach  in  Germany,  and  La  Mouillere 
(near  Besangon)  in  France. 

A  notable  amount  of  bicarbonate  of  iron  is  found 


SECT.  A.]  CLASSIFICATION.  9 

in  some  of  these  waters  ;  this  is  the  case  with  some 
of  the  springs  at  Homburg. 

It  also  sometimes  occurs  that  a  so-called  sulphur 
spring  is  rich  in  common  salt,  or  that  common  salt 
springs  are  found  in  company  with  sulphur  springs,  as 
at  H arrogate.  It  is  usual  in  such  cases  to  regard  the 
sulphur  as  the  characteristic  constituent,  and  to  classify 
them  amongst  sulphur  spas. 

It  will  be  seen,  in  the  following  list  of  common 
salt  springs  and  wells,  that  Germany  is  especially  rich 
in  such  waters. 

GREAT  BRITAIN. 

Ashby-de-la-Zouch.  Llangammarch. 

Bridge  of  Allan.  Nantwich. 

Droitwich.  Woodhall  Spa. 

FRANCE. 

Balaruc  (warm).  Lons  le  Saunier. 

Bourbonne  les  Bains  (hot).  Roncas  Blanc. 

Bourbon  Lancy  (hot).  Salies  de  Beam. 

Bourbon  I'Archambault.  Salies  du  Salut. 

Br  scous  (at  Biarritz).  Salins  du  Jura. 
Chatelguyon  (warm,  gaseous).       Salins  Moutiers'(warm). 

La  Motte  les  Bains  (hot).  Santenay. 
La  Mouillere  (Besangon). 

GERMANY  AND   AUSTRIA. 

Arnstadt.  Homburg. 

Aussee.  Inowrazlaw. 

Baden-Baden.  Ischi. 

Berchtesgaden.  Ivonicz. 

Cannstatt.  Jagstfeld. 

Csiz.  Juliushall. 

Durkheim.  Kiedrich. 

Durrheim.  Kissingen. 

Elmen.  Koesen. 

Frankenhausen.  Kolberg. 

Hall  (Tyrol).  Kreuth. 

Hall  (Upper  Austria).  Kreuznach. 

Hall  (Wiirtemberg).  Munster-am-Stein. 

Hallein.  Nauheim  (warm,  gaseous), 

Heilbrunn.  Neu-Ragoczi. 
B* 


to  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

GERMANY  AND   AUSTRIA   (continued)  \— 

Niederbronn.  Salzuflen. 
Oeynhausen,  or  Rehrne-Oeyn-      Salzungen. 

hausen  (warm,  gaseous).  Schmalkalden. 

Reichenhall.  Soden  (warm). 

Rosenheim.  Suiza. 

Rothenfelde.  Thale. 

Salzburg.  Traunstein. 

Salzhausen.  Wiesbaden. 

Salzschlirf.  Wittekind. 

SWITZERLAND. 

Bex.  Schweizerhalle. 

Rheinfelden.  Wildegg. 

LUXEMBURG. 

Mondorf  (warm). 

ITALY. 

Abano  (hot).  Monte  Catini  (warm). 

Castro-caro.  Salso  Maggiore. 

SPAIN. 

Caldas  de  Montbuy  (hot).  Cestona-Guesalaga  (warm). 

Caldas  de  Malavella  (hot). 

3.  Alkaline  waters. — This  is  perhaps  the  most 
natural  of  the  groups  of  mineral  waters,  the  charac- 
teristic constituent  being  bicarbonate  of  sodium, 
together,  usually,  with  a  considerable  amount  of  free 
carbonic  acid  gas. 

It  is  divided  into  three  sub-classes,  which  also 
form  fairly  natural  groups  : 

(a)  Simple  alkaline  waters,  in  which  sodium  bi- 
carbonate is  altogether  the  predominating  ingredient. 

(b)  Alkaline  and  common  salt  (chloride)  waters, 
which   contain   an   appreciable   amount    of   sodium 
chloride  as  well  as  sodium  bicarbonate. 

(c)  Alkaline  and  sodium  sulphate  waters  (some- 
times termed  alkaline-saline  waters),  which  contain 
besides  sodium  bicarbonate  a  notable  amount  of  the 
aperient  sodium  sulphate. 


SECT.  A.]  CLA  SSI  PICA  TION.  1 1 

Examples  of  this  class  of  mineral  waters  are  by 
no  means  so  common  as  of  the  preceding.  We  do 
not  know  of  a  single  example  of  either  of  these  sub- 
classes in  Great  Britain. 

Of  the  simple  alkaline  group,  France  possesses  in 
Vichy  and  Vals  the  two  most  notable  examples. 

Ems,  in  Germany,  is  a  well-known  example  of 
the  second,  or  alkaline  and  common  salt  sub-division  ; 
and  to  this  class  belong  most  of  the  so-called  German 
natural  table  waters,  as  Apollinaris,  etc. 

Examples  of  the  third  group,  the  alkaline  and 
sodium  sulphate  waters,  are  found  chiefly  in  Austria, 
and  Carlsbad  may  be  named  as  the  type  of  this 
class. 

(a)  Simple  alkaline  waters  ("btcarbotMtees'jsodiques" 
of  French  waters). 

FRANCE. 

Le  Boulou.  Vals. 

Marcols.  Vichy  (warm). 

Montrond. 

GERMANY  AND   AUSTRIA. 

Bilin.  Neuenahr  (warm). 

Birresborn.  Obersalzbrunn. 

Fachingen.  Preblau. 

Fellathal-quellen.  Radein. 

SWITZERLAND.  RUSSIA. 

Passugg.  Borjom. 

ITALY  PORTUGAL. 

San  Marco.  Vidago. 

(£)  Alkaline  and  common  salt  springs. 

FRANCE. 

Royat  (warm).  Vic-le-Comte. 

St.  Nectaire. 


12  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  T. 

GERMANY  AND   AUSTRIA. 

Assmannshausen.  Offenbach. 

Ems.  Sanct  Lorenz. 

Gleichenberg.  Szeawinca. 

Lipik.  Toennisten. 
Luhatschowitz. 

ITALY. 

Casamiccola.  Pozzuoli. 

RUSSIA. 

Essentuke. 

(c)  Alkaline  and  sodium  sulphate  waters.  No 
examples  of  this  sub-class  are  found  either  in  Great  Britain 
or  France. 

GERMANY     AND     AUSTRIA. 

Bertrich.  Franzensbad. 

Carlsbad  (hot).  Marienbad. 

Elster.  Rohitsch. 

SWITZERLAND. 
Tarasp. 

4.  The  next  class  also  is  a  rather  small  one ;  it 
consists  of  the  waters  known  in  Germany  as  bitter 
waters  on  account  of  the  bitter  taste  given  them  by 
the  magnesium  sulphate  (Epsom  salts)  they  contain. 
They  are  also  known  as  sulphated  waters,  as  their  chief 
constituents  are  the  aperient  sulphates  of  magnesium 
and  sodium.  They  often  contain,  too,  some  aperient 
chlorides,  and  these  are  sometimes  termed  "  muriated 
sulphated."  The  chief  examples  of  these  waters 
come  from  Austro-Hungary,  but  there  are  one  or  two 
representatives  of  the  class  in  Great  Britain  and 
France.  Some  of  the  following  are  only  used  for 
export,  and  do  not  represent  drinking  spas  : — 

ENGLAND. 

Cheltenham  (chlorides  also).          M  elk  sham. 
Leamington  (chlorides  also).          Purton  Spa. 


SECT.  A.]  CLASSIFICATION.  13 

FRANCE. 

Montmirail.  St.  Gervais  (chlorides  also). 

Brides  (chlorides  also). 

GERMANY   AND   AUSTRIA. 

JEsculap.  Pullna  (chlorides  also). 

Apenta.  Salzerbad  (chlorides  also). 

Franz- Josef.  Saidschitz. 

Friedrichshall  (chlorides  also).  Sedlitz. 
Grenzach  (chlorides  also). 

SWITZERLAND. 

Birminstorf.  Mulligen. 

SPAIN. 

Carabana.  Rubinat. 

Condal.  Villacabras. 

La  Margarita. 

5.  The  class  of  iron  or  chalybeate  waters  is  a 
large  one,  as  iron  is  very  widely  diffused  in  nature, 
and  minute  amounts  of  iron  occur  in  nearly  all  mineral 
waters ;  but  the  springs  rightly  admitted  to  this  class 
should  contain  iron  in  such,  amount  and  in  such  com- 
binations as  render  them  therapeutically  useful  as 
blood  restorers.  In  the  most  serviceable  and  popular 
of  the  chalybeate  springs  this  iron  exists  as  bicar- 
bonate, and  is  kept  in  solution  by  an  excess  of  free 
carbonic  acid.  The  presence  of  an  abundance  of  free 
carbonic  acid  greatly  increases  the  value  of  an  iron 
spring,  as  it  renders  the  water  more  palatable  and 
digestible. 

Iron  occurs  in  some  springs,  but  not  often,  in  the 
form  of  sulphate  or  chloride  or  crenate. 

Many  spas,  classed  amongst  other  groups,  possess 
springs  containing  iron,  which  is  often  associated  with 
aperient  or  other  salts,  as  at  Harrogate,  Elster, 
Marienbad,  Franzensbad,  and  elsewhere. 

It  would  be  useless  to  attempt  an  exhaustive 
enumeration  of  the  immense  number  of  springs  which 
contain  iron,  in  some  form  or  other,  and  enjoy  limited 


14  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

local  reputation  as  chalybeate  springs,  but  those  of 
chief  use  and  resort  will  be  found  amongst  the 
following.  England  and  France  are  remarkably  poor 
in  typical  chalybeate  springs. 

ENGLAND. 

Flitwick.  Tunbridge  Wells. 

Shanklin. 

FRANCE. 

Forges-les-Eaux.  Orezza  (in  Corsica). 

La  Maloti  (warm).  Renlaigne. 

BELGIUM. 
Spa. 

GERMANY  AND  AUSTRIA. 

Alexandersbad.  Godesberg. 

Antogast.  Griesbach. 

Augustusbad.  Imnau. 

Bartfeld.  Koenigswart. 

Berka.  Kohlgrub. 

Booklet.  Langenau. 

Borszek.  Liebenstein 

Bruckenau.  Liebwerda. 

Cudowa.  Petersthal. 

Driburgbad.  Pyrmont. 

Elopatak.  Reinerz. 
Elster      (aperient      sulphates      Rippoldsau. 

also).  Schandau 

Freyersbach.  Schwalbach. 

Frienwalde.  Steben. 

Flinsberg.  Teinach,  and  many  others. 

ITALY. 
Recoaro.  Santa  Catarina. 

SWITZERLAND. 

Acqua  Rossa.  Morgins. 

Ander-Pignieu.  San  Bernardino. 

Farnbuhl.  St.  Moritz. 
Fideris. 

Iron  occurs  in  some  springs,  as  we  have  seen,  in  the 
form  of  sulphate.    These  are  not  esteemed  of  the  same 


SECT.  A.]  CLASSIFICATION,  15 

value  as  the  preceding,  as  they  are  more  difficult  of 
digestion.  Those  in  Great  Britain  have  only  a  re- 
stricted local  reputation.  Of  these  may  be  mentioned  : 
Flitwick,  in  Bedfordshire  ;  Sandrock,  Isle  of  Wight  ; 
Gilsland  Spa,  Cumberland  ;  Horley  Green,  Yorkshire  ; 
St.  Anne's  Well,  Brighton  ;  Dorton,  Bucks ;  Lady 
Ida  Well,  Knockin,  Salop.  In  Scotland  there  are 
Hartfell  Spa,  Moffat  and  Vicar's  Bridge,  near  Dollar. 
In  North  Wales,  Trefrew,  in  the  Vale  of  Conway. 

Sulphate  of  iron  is  also  found  in  the  springs  of 
Katzes  and  Mitterbadinthe  Tyrol,  Paradin  Hungary, 
Alexisbad  and  Muskau  (Hermannsbad)  in  Germany, 
and  in  a  few  others. 

6.  The  next  class— the  earthy  or  calcareous 
group — is  a  somewhat  artificial  one,  as  the  lime  com- 
pounds they  contain  are  found  also,  though  in  smaller 
amount,  in  most  of  the  simple  thermal  springs  as  well 
as  in  those  of  other  groups.  Indeed,  it  is  not  always 
easy  to  determine  whether  a  mineral  spring  shall  be 
described  in  this  or  in  the  simple  thermal  group.  If 
it  is  a  hot  spring  and  used  chiefly  for  baths,  it  is  likely 
to  be  included  in  the  latter ;  if  cold,  and  used  mainly 
for  drinking,  then  in  the  former. 

The  characteristic  constituents  of  this  group  of 
natural  waters  are  calcium  carbonate  and  sulphate 
and  magnesium  carbonate.  When  sulphate  of  lime  is 
the  chief  ingredient  they  are  sometimes  termed 
"  gypsum "  wafers,  and  when  carbonates  of  lime 
and  magnesia  are  in  notable  excess,  they  are  often 
described  as  "  alkaline  earthy  springs." 

When,  as  is  not  unfrequently  the  case  in  France, 
springs  contain  sodium  bicarbonate  as  well  as  car- 
bonate of  lime  and  magnesia,  it  is  usual  to  describe 
them  as  "  eaux  bicarbonatees  mixtes."  France  is  par- 
ticularly rich  in  these  earthy  or  calcareous  springs. 

ENGLAND. 
Bath  (hot).     Also  in  Class  I. 


16  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

FRANCE. 

Audinac  (warm).  Contrexeville. 

Aulus.  Martigny  les  Bains. 

Bagn6res-de-Bigorre  (warm).  Pougues  les  Eaux. 

Capvern.  Siradan. 

Cransac.  Vittel,  and  others. 

ALGIERS. 
Hammam-R'Irha  (hot). 

GERMANY   AND   AUSTRIA. 

Auerbach.  Lippspringe. 

Grau.  Szkleno. 

Inselbad.  Wildungen 
Krynica. 

ITALY. 

Chianciano  (warm).  Lucca  (hot). 

SWITZERLAND. 

Bergun.  Saxon. 

Faulen-see  Bad.  Weissenberg. 

Loeche  les  Bains.  Vals  (Grisons). 
Peiden. 

7.  The  class  of  sulphur  waters  is  a  very  large  and 
artificial  one.  It  comprises  waters  differing  very 
greatly  from  one  another  in  chemical  constitution 
and  in  physiological  action.  It  includes  springs  like 
Aix  les  Bains,  which  are  extremely  feebly  mineralised, 
containing  only  0^49  of  solids  per  1,000,  and  having 
close  affinities  with  the  "  simple  thermal  "  group,  its 
mineral  constituents  consisting  chiefly  of  carbonate  and 
sulphate  of  lime — and  springs  like  the  "  old  sulphur 
spring"  at  Harrogate,  which  contains,  besides  other 
constituents,  127  per  1,000  of  sodium  chloride.  The 
only  common  character  which  serves  to  bring  these 
springs  into  the  same  group  is  that  they  contain 
either  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  or  some  other  binary 
compound  of  sulphur,  such  as  sodium  or  calcium 
sulphide,  and  possess  the  characteristic  odour  of 
sulphuretted  hydrogen. 


SECT.  A.]  CLASSIFICATION.  17 

Many  of  the  sulphur  waters,  like  those  of  Harro- 
gate,  contain  varying  proportions  of  sodium  chloride, 
and  to  some  of  these  springs,  such  as  Uriage,  the 
French  authorities  apply  the  term  "  chlorurees 
sodiques  sulfureuses." 

There  are  a  vast  number  of  warm  sulphur  springs 
in  France,  especially  in  the  Pyrenees,  their  charac- 
teristic constituent  being,  for  the  most  part,  sodium 
sulphide.  These  waters  are  very  prone  to  degenerate, 
as  the  French  say,  on  exposure  to  the  air.  The 
sodium  tends  to  combine  with  the  carbonic  acid  in 
the  water  and  the  air  and  form  sodium  carbonate, 
and  part  of  the  sulphur  thus  set  free  is  precipitated 
and  gives  a  milky  or  flocculent  aspect  to  the  water, 
while  another  part  of  the  sulphur  combines  with 
hydrogen  from  the  water  and  escapes  in  the  form  of 
sulphuretted  hydrogen.  Some  of  the  sodium  sulphide 
also  becomes  oxidised  into  hyposulphite,  sulphite,  and 
finally  sulphate  of  sodium,  so  that  after  a  little  time 
the  water  contains  only  sodium  carbonate  and  sulphate 
in  solution,  and  becomes  distinctly  alkaline.  Such 
waters  are  then  said  to  have  degenerated. 

It  is  especially  in  the  French  warm  sulphur 
springs  that  those  low  forms  of  vegetable  life  occur 
which  give  rise  to  the  substances  we  have  already 
referred  to  under  the  names  of  glairine  or  baregine. 

There  are  no  warm  sulphur  springs  in  England. 

GREAT   BRITAIN  AND   IRELAND. 

Askern  Spa.  Llandrindod  Wells. 

Ballynahinch.  Lucan. 

Builth.  Llanwrtyd  Wells. 

Harrogate.  Moffat. 

Lisdoonvarna.  Strathpeffer. 

FRANCE. 

Aix  les  Bains  (warm).  Bagnols  (warm). 

Allevard.  Barbotan  (warm). 

Amelie  les  Bains  (hot).  Bareges  (hot). 

Argeles-Gazost  (warm).  Barzun  (warm). 

Ax  les  Thermes  (hot).  Cadeac. 


1 8  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

FRANCE  (continued]  :— 

Cambo  (warm).  Molitg  (warm). 

Cauterets  (warm).  Olette  (hot). 

Challes.  Pierrefonds. 

Digue  (warm).  Pietrapola  (Corsica). 

Eaux  Bonnes  (warm).  Prechacq  les  Bains  (hot). 

Eaux  Chaudes  (warm).  Puzzichello  (Corsica). 

Enghien.  St.  Boes. 

Euzet.  St.  Honore  les  Bains  (warm). 

Greoulx  (warm).  St.  Sauveur  (warm). 

Guagno  (warm),  Corsica.  Uriage  (warm). 

Labassere  (warm).  Vernet  les  Bains  (hot).     And 

La  Preste  (warm).  many  others. 

Luchon  (warm). 

GERMANY   AND   AUSTRIA. 

Abbach.  Langenbrucken. 

Aix  la  Chapelle  (hot).  Langenfeld. 

Altenberg.  Langensalza. 

Baden,  near  Vienna  (warm).  Meinberg. 

Bad  Boll.  .  Nenndorf. 

Bentheim.  Parad. 

Buda-Pest  (warm).  Pystjau  (warm). 

Eilseh.  Reutlingen. 

Hercules-Bad  (warm).  Warasdin-Teplitz  (warm). 

Innichen.  Weilbach. 

Kainzenbad.  Wipfield.     And  others. 
Ladis. 

SWITZERLAND. 

Alveneu.  Le  Prese. 

Baden.  Schimberg. 

Gurnigel.  Schinznach. 

Heustrich.  Semens. 

Lavey.  Stachelberg. 

Lenk  Yverdun.     And  others. 

Lostorf. 

ITALY. 

Acireale.  Sciacca  (hot),  Sicily 

Acqui  (hot).  Tabiano. 

Civita  Vecchia.  Vinadio  (hot). 

Porreta  (warm).  Viterbo  (warm). 

SPAIN. 

Caratraca.  Panticosa 

Ledesma.  Santa  Agueda. 

Montemayor.  Trillo.     And  many  others. 


SECT.  A.]  CLASSIFICATION.  19 

PORTUGAL. 

Caldas  de  Rainha  (warm).  San  Pedro  do  Sill  (hot). 

Caldas  de  Vizella. 

RUSSIA. 

Bousk.  Piatigorsk  (hot). 

Bragoun. 

GREECE. 

Thermopylae  (hot). 

NORWAY. 

Laurvik.  Sandefjord. 

BOSNIA.  EGYPT. 

Illidze.  Helouan. 

The   following  subdivision  of  sulphur  waters  is 
sometimes  adopted : — 

(a)  Those  in  which  sodium  sulphide  is  the  binary 
sulphur  compound  present,  giving  to  the  springs  their 
special  character.     This  condition  prevails  in  most 
of  the  sulphur  baths  of  the  Pyrenees,  as  Bareges, 
Cauterets,  Luchon,  etc. 

(b)  Sulphuretted  hydrogen  springs,  in  which  H2S 
is  the  characteristic  constituent,  as  represented  by 
Aix  les  Bains,  Schinznach,  Strathpeffer,  etc. 

(c)  Sulphur  and  sodium  chloride  waters,  which 
contain  a  certain  amount  of  sodium  chloride  as  well 
as  H2S.     Such  springs  are  found  at  Aix  la  Chapelle, 
Harrogate,  Uriage,  and  elsewhere. 

8.  There  is  a  small  group  of  mineral  waters  which 
are  termed  arsenical,  as  they  contain  arsenic,  gener- 
ally in  small,  but  in  varying  proportions.  The 
arsenic  usually  occurs  in  alkaline  waters,  commonly 
in  the  form  of  sodium  arsenate,  as  in  La  Bourboule  ; 
sometimes  in  association  with  iron,  as  in  Levico  and 
Roncegno  water.  In  some  springs  arsenic  occurs  in 
quantities  so  minute  as  to  be  practically  of  no 


20 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


importance,  but  certain  of  these  are,  notwithstanding, 
occasionally  termed  "arsenical." 

In  the  following  list  the  arsenical  waters  are 
arranged  as  nearly  as  can  be  in  the  order  of  their 
strength  :— 

(a)  Containing  arsenious  acid  : — 

Roncegno,  Austria  . .     o-i  150  grammes  per  litre  arsenious  acid 

+  (0*1090  sodium  arscnate). 

Levico,  Austria       ...     o-oo86  grammes  per  litre        ,,  ., 
Srebernik,  Bosnia ...     0*0060         ,,             ,,                 ,,           ,, 
Linda    Pausa,    Ger- 
many              0-0030         „             ,,                 „  „ 


(£)  Containing  ar senates  : — 

La  Bourboule,  France   0-0282  grammes 
Sylvanes       o'oibo         ,, 

Court    St     Etienne, 

Belgium    ...         ...  0*0097  ,, 

Vic  sur  Cere,  France  0*0080  ,, 

Civilina,  Italy         ...  0*0080  ,, 

Ceresole  Reale,  Italy  0*0057  ,, 

Royat  (St.  Victor)  ...  0-0045  ,, 
Vals      (Dominique), 

France      ...         ...  0-0030  ,, 

Cudowa,  Germany...  0*0025  >> 
Val    Sinistra,     Swit- 
zerland        0-0019  „ 

Bussang,  France    ...  0*0012  ,, 

Mt.  Dcre,  France  ...  o  ooio  ,, 

Traces  of  arsenic  are  found  in 


per  litre  sod.  arsenate. 

„  arsenate  of  iron 

and  magnesia. 

,  sodium  arsenate. 


,  arsenate  of  iron. 
,  sodium  arsenate. 


arsenate  of  iron. 

,  sodium  arsenate. 
arsenate  of  iron. 
,  sodium  arsenate. 
many  others. 


There  is  another  small  group  of  waters  containing 
iodides  and  bromides,  most  of  which  will  be  found 
enumerated  under  the  common  salt  class.  It  may  be 
convenient  to  mention  them  here. 

Woodhall  Spa  in  England. 

Challes,  La  Mouillere,  Salies  de  Beam,  Salins  du 
Jura,  in  France. 

Heilbrunn,  Krankenheit-Tolz,  Kreuznach,  Salz- 
brunn,  Salzschlirf,  in  Germany. 

Hall,  in  Upper  Austria. 


SECT.  A.]  CLASSIFICATION.  21 

Lipik,  in  Hungary. 

Ivonitch,  in  Galicia. 

Castro-caro,  Salso  Maggiore,  in  Italy. 

Wildegg,  in  Switzerland. 

Having,  in  the  foregoing  groups  or  classes, 
enumerated  most  of  the  mineral  water  resorts  treated 
of  in  this  work,  we  shall  be  enabled,  for  purposes  of 
description  and  reference,  to  adopt  in  Section  B, 
which  begins  on  page  52,  the  system  of  alphabetical 
arrangement,  which  has  a  great  and  obvious 
advantage. 


22  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 


CHAPTER  II. 

MODES   OF  APPLICATION  AND   ACTION   OF 
MINERAL  WATERS. 

Modes  of  Application  :  Bathing  Cures — Douches — Gas  and  Vapour 
Baths  — Inhalations— Drinking  Cures— Action  of  the  Different 
Classes  of  Mineral  Waters  Externally  and  Internally. 

BEFORE  proceeding  to  the  description  of  individual 
springs,  it  will  be  desirable  to  consider  the  modes  of 
application  and  action  of  mineral  waters  in  a  general 
sense.  And  first  as  to  the  modes  of  application. 

Although,  in  the  great  majority  of  instances,  the 
waters  of  a  spa  are  applied  both  externally  and  in- 
ternally, in  a  certain  number  the  external  method  and 
in  a  few  others  the  internal  method  is  especially  relied 
upon.  Indeed,  in  most  cases,  one  or  other  method 
predominates. 

For  example,  at  Salso  Maggiore  there  is  no 
drinking  of  the  waters,  whereas  at  Eaux  Bonnes 
and  at  La  Bourboule  there  is  very  little  bathing, 
these  being  essentially  drinking  cures.  At  Gastein,  at 
Aix  les  Bains,  at  Nauheim,  the  treatment  relied  upon 
is  almost  wholly  external ;  at  Neuenahr,  at  Con- 
trexeville,  at  Cauterets,  it  is  almost  wholly  internal, 
baths  being  only  regarded  as  accessory  measures. 
It  is  true,  however,  that  where  the  patients  are  made 
to  inhale  the  dense  vapour  and  finely  divided  spray 
of  the  water,  in  special  apartments  devised  for  the 
purpose,  some  of  the  constituents  of  the  water  may 
be  absorbed  internally  through  the  respiratory 
mucous  membrane,  and  this,  at  such  spas,  is  claimed 
to  be  so. 

In  the  preparation  of  baths,  if  the  spring  is 
naturally  of  too  high  a  temperature,  its  temperature 


SECT.  A.]        MODES    OF    APPLICATION.  23 

is  reduced  to  a  suitable  degree  either  by  the  addition 
of  ordinary  water,  or  water  from  a  cooler  spring,  or 
by  allowing  the  water  to  remain  in  the  bath  until  it 
has  cooled  sufficiently  ;  and  if  the  spring  is  naturally 
cool  or  cold,  its  temperature  is  raised  to  the  needful 
point  either  by  the  addition  of  ordina  ry  hot  water  or 
by  heating  the  water  of  the  mineral  spring  by  means 
of  special  contrivances. 

In  the  case  of  cold  springs  rich  in  free  carbonic 
acid  gas,  when  it  is  important  to  retain  as  much  of 
the  gas  as  possible  in  the  water  of  the  bath,  the 
heating  of  the  water  is  usually  effected  either  by 
what  is  known  as  the  Schwarz  method,  in  which  hot 
steam  is  introduced  between  the  double  bottom  of 
the  metal  bath,  as  at  Schwalbach,  or  by  Pfriem's 
method,  in  which  steam  under  high  pressure  is  directly 
introduced  into  the  water  of  the  bath  ;  or  a  third 
method  may  be  used,  which  consists  in  passing  the 
hot  steam  through  pipes  situated  in  the  angle  between 
the  floor  and  the  sides  of  the  bath. 

Baths  are  also  given  either  in  the  form  of  full 
baths,  or  half  baths,  or  local  baths,  i.e.  limited  to  one 
limb  or  a  definite  part  of  the  surface  of  the  body. 

Full  baths  are  given  either  in  what  the 
French  term  a  baignoire,  i.e.  a  bath  adapted  to  the 
form  of  the  body  like  the  ordinary  domestic  bath,  or 
in  a  piscine,  i.e.  a  well-shaped  bath,  usually  lined  with 
tiles,  into  which  one  descends  by  steps,  and  in 
which  the  patient  can  either  stand  or  sit  or  move 
about.  Such  baths  may  be  large  enough  to  receive 
several  persons  at  the  same  time,  and  when  very 
large  may  be  used  as  swimming  baths. 

As  we  shall  see  in  the  next  chapter,  mineral  water 
baths  may  be  modified  or  fortified  by  the  addition  of 
various  substances  either  of  the  same  nature,  as  the 
concentrated  Mutter-lauge,  or  salts  extracted  from 
the  spring  itself;  or  by  adding  quite  different  sub- 
stances to  the  water,  as  mud,  or  Moor,  or  pine  extracts. 
Mineral  waters  are  also  applied  externally  in 
various  forms  of  douches  of  varying  temperature  and 


24  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

pressure.  There  are  jet,  fan,  and  spray  douches ;  ver- 
tical, horizontal,  and  ascending  douches,  a  modification 
of  the  ascending  douche  may  be  used  for  internal  "  irri- 
gations." What  is  known  as  the  "  Scotch  douche  " 
(douche  ecossaise)  is  one  by  means  of  which  hot  and 
cold  streams  are  applied  alternately  to  the  same  part 
of  the  body.  What  is  termed  by  the  French  a  sub- 
marine douche  is  a  douche  applied  beneath  the  surface 
of  the  bath,  and  which  may  be  either  hotter  or  colder 
than  the  water  of  the  bath. 

Gas  baths  and  douches  are  also  given  in  some 
spas,  the  gas,  usually  carbonic  acid,  being  obtained 
from  the  springs. 

In  many  spas,  where  diseases  of  the  respira- 
tory organs  are  treated,  the  mineral  water  is  adminis- 
tered by  inhalation,  as  well  as  by  drinking,  and 
various  forms  of  apparatus  are  employed  to  reduce 
the  water  to  a  fine  spray  or  dust  (poussiere],  which 
is  inhaled,  mixed  often  with  the  vapour  of  the  water, 
or  with  such  gases  as  it  may  contain. 

The  hot  vapours  given  off  by  some  of  the  springs 
of  naturally  high  temperature  are,  by  means  of  con- 
venient appliances,  sometimes  inhaled  as  they  come 
directly  from  the  source,  and  such  vapour  is  also  in 
other  instances  used  for  the  preparation  of  hot  vapour 
baths  and  douches,  general  or  local. 

As  we  have  already  said,  in  most  but  not  in  all 
spas,  a  certain  amount  of  the  water  of  the  mineral 
spring  is  taken  daily  internally,  and  the  treatment  is 
therefore  both  internal  and  external. 

We  shall,  in  the  next  place,  consider  in  a  general 
sense,  the  action  of  mineral  waters,  first,  when  applied 
externally,  and  secondly,  when  taken  internally. 

As  to  their  external  action,  the  idea  which 
formerly  prevailed  that  a  portion  of  the  substances, 
dissolved  in  the  mineral  water  of  the  bath,  was 
absorbed  by  the  skin  into  the  blood,  has  been 
negatived  by  repeated  experimental  observations. 
It  is  therefore  incorrect  to  suppose  that  the  action 


SECT.  A.]  EXTERNAL    ACTION.  25 

of  mineral  water  baths  can  be,  in  any  way,  de- 
pendent on  absorption  of  their  constituents  through 
the  skin,  for  it  has  been  proved  that  the  sound  and 
healthy  human  skin  is  not  permeable  to  water,  or  the 
fixed  substances  dissolved  in  it,  even  after  prolonged 
immersion.  It  must,  however,  be  borne  in  mind  that 
volatile  or  gaseous  constituents  of  mineral  baths  may 
be  absorbed  through  the  respiratory  organs,  and 
indeed  it  seems  probable,  from  experimental  obser- 
vation that  the  skin  itself  is  permeable  to  certain 
volatile  and  gaseous  constituents  of  baths,  as  for 
example  carbonic  acid  gas  and  sulphuretted  hydrogen. 
It  has  been  asserted  by  some  that  the  skin  has 
been  found  permeable  to  water  and  watery  solutions 
in  fine  spray  at  an  elevated  temperature,  and  it  has 
been  suggested  that  the  force  with  which  the  spray 
has  been  thrown  upon  the  skin  has  influenced  the 
absorption. 

Doubtless  absorption  in  the  bath  may  be  pro- 
moted by  removing  from  the  skin  the  fatty  layer 
derived  from  the  secretion  of  the  hair  follicles  and 
sweat  glands,  together  with  the  superficial  epidermal 
scales  which  hinder  absorption,  and  this  may  be 
done  by  friction  with  soap  and  water ;  and  much  the 
same  result  would  probably  follow  friction  of  the 
skin  in  a  hot  bath  consisting  of  an  alkaline  mineral 
water.  A  high  temperature  of  the  bath  by  causing 
dilation  and  fulness  of  the  cutaneous  capillaries  would 
also  favour  absorption.  But  it  must  be  repeated  that 
in  an  ordinary  mineral  water  bath  no  absorption  of 
the  water,  or  the  fixed  substances  dissolved  in  it,  takes 
place  through  the  healthy  and  unbroken  skin. 

The  action  of  a  hot  mineral  water  bath,  especially 
of  the  " simple  thermal"  class,  must  be  much  the 
same  as,  if  not  altogether  identical  with,  that  of  a 
bath  of  ordinary  water  of  the  same  temperature.  It 
tends  to  cause  dilation  of  the  capillaries  of  the  skin, 
and  so  promotes  the  circulation  of  blood  in  the  cuta- 
neous vessels,  and  may  thus  indirectly  contribute  to 
re  lieve  congestion  of  deep-seated  organs.  It  macerates 


26  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

the  epidermis,  and  promotes  the  shedding  of  its 
superficial  scales,  while  it  stimulates  the  excretion  of 
the  cutaneous  glands,  and  causes  diaphoresis  in  pro- 
portion to  the  temperature  of  the  bath,  or  of  the 
atmosphere  into  which  the  patient  passes  after  the 
bath.  It  is  therefore  a  powerful  agent  of  cutaneous 
elimination. 

If  the  water  of  the  bath  is  tepid  only,  it  has  a 
soothing  effect  on  the  endings  of  the  peripheral 
nerves,  and  tends  to  equalise  the  distribution  of 
blood. 

But  when  the  mineral  water  of  the  bath  contains 
constituents  capable  of  exercising  chemical  stimulation 
or  irritation  of  the  skin,  then  we  have  additional 
effects  to  consider  besides  those  dependent  on  its 
thermality,  and  we  must,  in  the  next  place,  pass  on 
to  the  consideration  of  the  action  of  the  different 
classes  of  baths. 

i.  The  "indifferent"  thermal  springs  act  like 
ordinary  warm  baths,  their  effects  being  mainly  due 
to  their  temperature  ;  but  it  is  quite  possible  that  the 
small  amount  of  solids  they  contain,  especially  when 
these  render  the  water  faintly  alkaline,  exercise  some 
influence  ;  and  some  influence  may  also  be  attributed 
to  the  maintenance  of  a  constant  temperature  during 
the  bath,  which  is  provided  for  in  suitably  arranged 
baths.  As  to  the  suggestion  so  often  put  forward 
that  some  of  these  springs  exert  a  specific  electrical 
effect,  this  view  has  never  been  established,  and  is 
not  accepted  by  the  most  competent  authorities. 
The  contributory  influence  of  climate  and  altitude 
must,  however,  never  be  overlooked  in  estimating 
the  suitableness  of  such  baths. 

The  baths  of  this  class  may  be  divided  into  two 
sub-groups,  according  to  their  temperature — 

(a)  Those  of  "  indifferent  "  temperature,  i.e.  below 
the  body  temperature  of  98*6°  F.,  and  (b)  those  which 
tend  to  raise  the  body  temperature,  and  are  therefore 
above  98-6°  F. 

(a)  Baths  belonging  to  the  first  group  (Buxton, 


SECT.  A.]  EXTERNAL    ACTION.  27 

Ragatz,  Schlangenbad)  do  not  disturb  the  body 
temperature,  they  therefore  stimulate  mildly  the 
cutaneous  nerves,  and  tend,  reflexly,  to  soothe  the 
central  nervous  system.  They  exert  a  limited  and 
mildly  stimulating  action  on  metabolism.  Such  baths, 
if  long  protracted,  serve  also  to  macerate  the  epidermis 
in  certain  chronic  skin  affections  (psoriasis,  eczema), 
and  by  soothing  the  nerve  endings,  improve  the 
capillary  circulation.  They  also  prove  of  use  in  slow 
convalescence  from  acute  disease,  in  the  debility 
attending  some  chronic  constitutional  affections,  in 
premature  senility,  and  in  irritable  neurotic  or 
hysterical  conditions  associated  with  neuralgia, 
dysmenorrhcea,  insomnia,  etc.  In  this  respect  their 
action  is  analogous  to  that  of  ordinary  hydro- 
therapeutic  treatment.  They  are  often  also  pre- 
scribed in  certain  forms  of  chronic  spinal  disease, 
as  in  the  early  stage  of  tabes  and  in  Cases  of  pseudo- 
tabes,  as  well  as  in  cases  of  peripheral  neuritis. 

(b)  The  second  group  of  hotter  springs  (Gas- 
tein,  Teplitz,  Bath)  tend  to  raise  the  temperature 
of  the  body,  quicken  the  circulation  in  the  skin, 
increase  cutaneous  excretion,  and  produce  a  stimu- 
lating effect  on  the  circulatory  and  nervous  systems. 
In  this  way  they  promote  the  absorption  of  chronic 
exudations,  either  of  rheumatic  and  gouty  or  trau- 
matic and  inflammatory  origin.  They  are  often 
employed  to  relieve  chronic  joint  affections  in 
connection  with  gout,  rheumatism  and  rheumatoid 
arthritis,  chronic  peritoneal  exudations,  and  chronic 
uterine  and  peri-uterine  and  other  pelvic  inflamma- 
tions. They  are  constantly  used  in  the  treatment  of 
sciatica  and  other  forms  of  neuralgia,  and  in  these 
and  other  cases  their  action  is  usually  reinforced  by 
certain  accessory  measures  such  as  local  hot  douches, 
friction,  and  massage ;  the  warmth  of  bed  after  the 
bath  is  also  beneficial  when  it  is  desired  to  maintain 
and  promote  its  diaphoretic  action.  The  tempera- 
ture of  the  water  should  be  kept  constant  during  the 
continuance  of  the  bath,  and  it  is  usually  thought 


28  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

undesirable  that  the  water  of  the  bath  should  reach 
much  higher  than  the  waist ;  indeed,  some  bath 
physicians  think  it  advisable  to  apply  cold  com- 
presses to  the  head  and  precordium  during  the  bath. 

Therapeutically  allied  to  this  class  are  the  natural 
hot  vapour  baths,  such  as  are  found  at  Lucca,  Mon- 
sumano,  and  Battaglia,  in  Italy. 

2.  We  must,   in  the    next    place,   consider    the 
action  of  common  salt  or  brine  baths,  the  second  of 
our  groups  of  mineral  springs.     These  brine  baths 
(Germ.  Soolb&der)  are  prepared  from  mineral  waters 
containing  sodium  chloride,  usually  associated  with 
other  chlorides  in  smaller  quantity.     Some  of  these 
springs  are  hot,  and  those  that  are  cold  are  heated 
artificially.    A  few  are  gaseous,  being  charged  with 
free    carbonic    acid.      Salt    springs    vary    much   in 
strength.     A  brine  or  salt  bath  should  contain   at 
least  i '5  per  cent  of  saline  constituents.     If  it  does 
not  contain  more  than  2  per  cent,  it  is  a  weak  brine 
bath  ;    if  it  contains  from  3  to  6  per  cent,  it  is  a 
moderately  strong  one.     Springs  stronger  than  this 
require  dilution  before  using  as  baths.      From  the 
stronger   springs    of  this   class   brine  salts  are    ex- 
tracted, and  also  what  is  known  as  "  mother  lye,"  or 
Mutter-lauge    (Germ.),    or    eaux    meres    (French), 
or   aqua   madre   (Ital.).      These    can    be    used    for 
forti lying  the   weaker    salt  baths.      Mother   lye  is 
obtained  by  concentration   of   the    salt  water  by 
boiling    and    evaporation.      Much    of  'the    sodium 
chloride  crystallises  out,  and  is  used  in  commerce ; 
and  the  residue  contains,  besides  sodium  chloride, 
the  other  more  soluble  salts  in  higher  proportions. 
These  are  usually  calcium  and  magnesium  chlorides, 
together  with  whatever  iodides  or  bromides  may  be 
contained  in  the  spring.     Brine  salts  are  obtained  by 
further   concentration   of   the   mother   lye.      Strong 
brines  are  also  sometimes  prepared  by  graduation, 
containing  from  1 6  to  20  per  cent,  of  salts. 

The  action  of  these  salt  baths  depends  in  part 
upon  their  temperature,  but  mainly  on  the  chemical 


SECT.  A.]  EXTERNAL    ACTION.  29 

irritation  or  stimulating  action  of  the  dissolved  salts 
on  the  skin  and  the  peripheral  cutaneous  nerves. 
The  salt  of  the  water  soaks  through  the  epidermal 
layers,  and  acts  as  a  chemical  stimulant  to  the  nerve 
endings  in  the  skin.  The  cutaneous  sensibility  and 
.blood  pressure  are  usually  raised,  and  the  production 
of  carbonic  acid  is  said  to  be  increased.  Differences 
of  opinion  exist,  amongst  observers,  as  to  whether 
these  baths  do  or  do  not  increase  nitrogenous 
metabolism. 

In  certain  hypersensitive  persons  the  stronger  salt 
baths  may  cause  urticarial  or  eczematous  eruptions ; 
they  should  then  be  diluted  or  interrupted.  Similar 
eruptions  sometimes  occur  after  sea  baths ;  indeed, 
warm  sea  baths  are  closely  related  in  their  action  to 
the  class  of  baths  we  are  considering.  Their 
therapeutic  action  has  been  found  favourable  to  the 
removal  of  chronic  exudations,  of  scrofulous  glandular 
enlargements  and  chronic  inflammatory  thickenings 
and  indurations.  They  are  useful  in  rickets  and 
other  maladies  associated  with  lymphatism  and 
tuberculosis  in  children.  They  are  found  beneficial 
in  chronic  inflammatory  disorders  of  the  female 
pelvic  organs.  They  are  used  for  the  removal  of 
gouty  and  rheumatic  exudations  about  joints  and 
elsewhere,  and  in  some  forms  of  neuralgia  and 
paralysis  of  rheumatic  origin.  They  are  considered 
to  have  a  strengthening  effect  on  the  skin,  and  to 
render  it  less  sensitive  to  chill.  The  strength  of  the 
bath  must  be  graduated  to  the  individual ;  delicate, 
sensitive  persons  require  the  weaker  ones,  and 
lymphatic  scrofulous  patients  often  need  those  of 
greater  strength. 

The  gaseous  thermal  salt  baths,  which  do  not 
need  artificial  heating,  are  especially  valuable  when 
our  object  is  to  rouse  the  nervous  force  as  well  as 
improve  the  general  nutrition  ;  they  are  therefore 
frequently  prescribed  in  neurotic  cases,  in  some  cases 
of  paralysis,  in  spinal  irritation,  in  tabes,  and  recently 
they  have  been  largely  recommended  in  the  treatment 


30  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

of  cardiac  affections.  The  presence  of  free  carbonic 
acid  in  these  baths  enables  them  to  be  borne  of  a 
lower  temperature  than  other  brine  baths  owing  to  the 
stimulating  effect  of  this  gas  on  the  skin.  The 
inhalation  of  the  spray  of  these  waters,  produced  by 
suitable  mechanical  contrivances,  is  found  of  much 
value  in  chronic  catarrhal  conditions  of  the  air 
passages. 

3.  The  waters  of  the  next  group,  the  alkaline 
waters,  are  almost  exclusively  relied  upon  for  their 
internal  use,  and  when  employed  for  baths  it  is  only 
as  an  accessory  measure.    As  baths  they  exert  a  more 
cleansing   action   on   the   skin   than    ordinary  warm 
water,  and  the  free  carbonic  acid  gas  which  is  present 
in   many   of   them    produces    no    doubt    a    mildly 
stimulating  effect   on  the  skin.     Like  other  warm 
baths  they  exert  a  soothing  effect  on  the  nervous 
system.      Those    of   the    alkaline     chloride    group 
(Ems)  are  often  used  in  catarrhal  conditions  of  the 
female  pelvic  organs.     The  same  may  be  said  of  the 
alkaline    sodium    sulphate   group,   and   these    latter 
are  also  prescribed  and  thought  useful  in  the  treat- 
ment of  obesity. 

4.  The  class  of  "  bitter  "  waters  have  no  special 
action  as  baths.     They  are,  however,  often  prescribed 
as  auxiliary  to  the  drinking  cure. 

5.  In  estimating  the  action  of  iron  or  chalybeate 
baths,  the  idea  that  any  absorption   of  iron  takes 
place  by  the  skin  must  be  set  aside. 

The  action  of  the  iron  waters  that  are  especially 
used  as  baths,  as  well  as  for  drinking,  is  mainly  due 
to  the  free  carbonic  acid  contained  in  them  and 
which  exerts  a  stimulating  or  irritating  effect  on  the 
skin  as  its  bubbles  accumulate  upon  and  are  dis- 
charged from  the  surface  of  the  body.  Owing  to  the 
effect  of  the  free  carbonic  acid  on  the  skin  these 
baths  can  be  given  of  a  lower  temperature  (77°  to 
90°  F.)  than  would  otherwise  be  practicable  ;  they 
are  then  believed  to  promote  metabolism  and  to  be 
made  capable  of  remedial  application  in  debilitated 


SECT.  A.]  EXTERNAL   ACTION.  31 

and  anaemic  conditions.  A  reflex  action  extending  from 
the  periphery  to  the  central  nervous  system  renders 
these  baths  valuable  in  irritable  neurasthenic  states. 
They  are  found  to  increase  the  appetite  and  promote 
nitrogenous  assimilation,  as  less  urea  is  eliminated ; 
they  therefore  favour  the  "nutritive  retention  of 
'organic  matters  in  form  of  albumen  "  (Kisch). 

They  are  prescribed  with  advantage  in  cases  of 
debility,  associated  with  anaemia  and  chlorosis,  in 
neurasthenic  states,  and  in  the  disorders  of  menstrua- 
tion connected  with  anaemia.  Care  is  taken,  as  we 
have  already  pointed  out,  in  heating  these  baths,  to 
adopt  methods  which  shall  prevent  the  loss  of  car- 
bonic acid,  and  for  the  same  reason  the  bather  is 
recommended  to  remain  still  in  the  bath,  so  that  this 
gas  may  have  a  better  effect  on  the  skin. 

In  the  few  chalybeate  baths  in  which  the  iron 
occurs  in  the  form  of  sulphate,  the  astringent  proper- 
ties of  these  waters  may  be  utilised  in  the  treatment 
of  vaginal  leucorrhcea,  and  in  strengthening  and 
bracing  up  the  skin  in  persons  with  a  tendency  to 
excessive  perspiration.  In  these  instances  where 
weak  iron  waters,  containing  no  free  carbonic  acid, 
are  administered  as  baths,  the  effect  can  only  be  the 
same  as  that  of  the  indifferent  thermal  baths. 

6.  The  class  of   earthy  or    calcareous    springs 
exercise  no  specific  effect  when  used  as  baths.     The 
action  of  most  of  the  springs  of  this  class  when  ad- 
ministered   as    baths  is   identical  with  that   of  the 
indifferent  thermal  springs,  to   which  class,  indeed, 
some   of  these  spas  might  be  referred.     They  are 
employed  in  the  same  class  of  cases. 

In  those  instances  in  which  they  are  prescribed 
as  very  protracted  baths  (Leukerbad)  for  the  cure  of 
chronic  skin  diseases,  such  as  psoriasis  and  eczema, 
they  must  act  simply  by  imbibition  and  maceration  of 
the  epidermal  scales  and  cleansing  of  the  skin.  They 
may  also  exercise  a  sedative  effect  on  the  irritated 
cutaneous  nerves. 

7.  Next,  as  to  the  action  of  the  large  class  of 


32  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

sulphur  baths,  in  which  we  must  include  those 
springs  which  contain  a  certain  amount  of  sodium 
chloride,  as  well  as  sulphur  compounds. 

There  seems  some  difference  of  opinion  amongst 
authorities  as  to  the  precise  action  of  sulphur  baths, 
and  it  is  certain  that  this  action  must  differ  consider- 
ably according  to  their  strength,  their  composition, 
their  thermality,  and  the  manner  in  which  they  are 
applied. 

The  action  of  the  very  weak  sulphur  waters 
probably  scarcely  differs  at  all  from  that  of  the  simple 
thermal  springs ;  but  when  they  contain  much 
sulphuretted  hydrogen  and  are  applied  at  a  high 
temperature,  they  exercise  a  powerful  stimulating  or 
even  irritating  effect  on  the  skin,  causing  cutaneous 
hyperaemia,  increased  transpiration,  and  desqua- 
mation  of  the  epidermis  ;  they  therefore  excite  and 
increase  the  function  of  the  skin  and  promote 
absorption.  If  the  patient  is  kept  in  a  warm  bed 
after  the  bath,  marked  diaphoresis  often  occurs,  with 
diminished  diuresis,  and  a  considerable  amount  of 
urea  has  been  found  in  the  perspiration. 

Those  sulphur  baths  that  are  alkaline  also  cleanse 
the  skin  of  fatty  and  pigmentary  substances,  and 
inspissated  excretions  adhering  to  it.  This  would 
favour  absorption  from  the  bath — if  it  were  possible. 

The  germicidal  action  of  some  of  the  sulphur 
waters  is  likely  to  be  of  importance  in  certain  cases 
—especially  in  parasitic  skin  affections — and  may 
account  for  the  ancient  reputation  which  many  of 
them  possess  for  promoting  the  healing  of  wounds 
received  in  battle.  It  is  more  especially  in  connec- 
tion with  these  baths  (but  not  exclusively)  that  what 
is  termed  "  a  crisis "  occurs  after  a  week  or  so  of 
treatment.  This  is  simply  a  form  of  artificial 
dermatitis,  induced  by  the  action  of  the  hot  sulphur 
water  on  the  skin. 

At  one  time  sulphur  baths  were  believed  to  be 
useful  in  the  diagnosis  of  latent  constitutional  syphilis, 
and  of  specific  value  in  its  treatment ;  they  are  now 


SECT.  A.]  INTERNAL   ACTION.  33 

no  longer  credited  either  with  the  power  of  making 
latent  syphilis  apparent  or  with  exerting  any  specific 
influence  over  the  disease.  We  shall  have  to  return 
to  this  subject  in  a  later  section  (Section  C). 

In  the  treatment  of  gout  by  sulphur  baths  and 
the  internal  use  of  sulphur  waters,  the  elimination  of 
uric  acid  has  been  stated  to  be  markedly  increased. 

Besides  gout  and  constitutional  syphilis,  sulphur 
baths  are  recommended  in  the  treatment  of  chronic 
rheumatic  affections,  rheumatoid  arthritis,  chronic 
metallic  poisonings,  some  scrofulous  disorders,  the 
sequelae  of  traumatic  lesions,  and  in  some  chronic 
affections  of  the  nervous  system,  as  tabes  and  certain 
motor  and  sensory  neuroses. 

Very  vigorous  and  various  methods  of  treatment 
are  carried  out  in  connection  with  sulphur  baths ; 
they  are  often  applied  at  a  high  temperature  up  to 
107°  F.  They  are  used  in  all  forms  of  douches. 
The  natural  vapours  and  gases  given  off  by  the 
thermal  springs  are  collected  or  allowed  to  pass  into 
suitable  cabinets  for  the  purpose  of  giving  vapour  or 
gas  baths,  and  the  vapours  as  well  as  the  fine  spray 
to  which  the  water  is  reduced  by  mechanism  devised 
for  this  end,  are  used  for  inhalations. 

We  must  now,  in  the  second  place,  pass  on  to 
consider  the  action  of  these  mineral  springs  when 
taken  internally,  It  must,  however,  always  be  kept 
in  mind  that  the  remedial  or  beneficial  action  of 
mineral  waters  is  largely  dependent  on  the  asso- 
ciated conditions,  such  as  alterations  in  diet,  climate, 
exercise,  social  surroundings,  etc.  These  are  by  no 
means  unimportant  factors  in  the  results  obtained  in 
the  treatment  of  chronic  diseases.  They  are  probably 
more  worthy  of  consideration  in  many  instances  than 
small  differences  in  the  chemical  composition  of  the 
mineral  springs.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  many 
mineral  waters,  whose  curative  effects  are  in  them- 
selves wholly  insignificant,  have  been  raised  into 
importance  by  the  intelligent  and  skilful  accessory 


34  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

methods  attending  their  use.  Even  in  mineral  waters 
containing  active  and  energetic  constituents,  much  of 
this  efficacy  depends  on  the  watchful  regularity  and 
continuity  of  their  application,  and  the  absolute  and 
faithful  devotion  of  the  patient,  for  the  time  being, 
to  the  system  of  cure.  Apparently  inert  and  very 
feebly  mineralised  springs,  when  thus  systematically 
and  regularly  applied,  may  be  attended  with  un- 
expectedly good  results. 

In  all  drinking-  cures  we  must  not  overlook  the 
value  and  curative  action  of  the  amount  of  water 
itself  which  is  consumed. 

To  persons  unaccustomed  to  the  use  of  pure  water 
as  an  ordinary  beverage,  the  daily  drinking  of  a  large 
quantity  of  this  highly  important  solvent,  apart  from 
the  mineral  substances  it  holds  in  solution,  must  have 
most  influential  physiological  and  therapeutic  effects. 
It  must,  for  one  thing,  stimulate  healthy  metabolism 
by  assisting  in  the  removal  of  waste  products  accu- 
mulated in  the  organism,  and  by  flushing  and  cleansing 
the  excretory  channels.  In  this  way  the  blood  itself 
must  be  washed  and  cleansed.  Considerations  such 
as  these  enable  us  to  explain  the  good  results  obtained 
from  drinking  these  mineral  springs,  which  contain 
less  mineral  constituents  than  ordinary  spring  water, 
their  solvent  action  being  on  that  account  greater 
than  that  of  more  strongly  mineralised  springs. 

There  is,  then,  one  consideration  common  to  all 
drinking  cures,  and  that  is  the  quantity  of  water  that 
is  consumed. 

It  has  been  stated,  in  connection  with  the  effect 
of  "  indifferent "  springs,  that  "  sipping  "  has  a  re- 
markable effect  in  abolishing  the  inhibitory  action  of 
the  vagus,  and  so  quickening  the  heart  beat.  This 
statement  has  been  too  hastily  and  unquestioning!}" 
received.  We  have  ourselves  made  repeated  test 
observations  with  wholly  negative  results,  except  in 
highly  nervous  subjects  prone  to  the  influence  of 
suggestion. 

i.   The  "  indifferent  "  thermal  springs  are  mainly 


SECT.  A.]  INTERNAL   ACTION.  35 

prescribed,  as  we  have  seen,  for  baths  and  bathing 
cures  ;  they  are  sometimes  ordered  also  lor  drinking, 
in  cases  needing  only  mild  treatment.  Their  effect 
is  mainly  that  ol  the  mgestion  of  a  certain  amount  of 
warm  water  ;  they  help  to  remove  waste  products, 
they  flush  the  excretory  organs,  they  tend  to  keep 
the  intestinal  contents  more  fluid,  and  so  assist  in 
remedying  constipation.  They  are  sometimes  found 
to  exert  a  soothing  action  on  the  gastro-intestinal 
mucous  membrane,  and  to  relieve  certain  forms  of 
gastralgia  and  enteralgia.  They  are  also  found 
useful  in  some  forms  of  atonic  gout  and  rheumatism. 

2.  Of    the    sodium    chloride    waters,   only    the 
weaker   ones,   or    those    oi    medium    strength,   are 
employed  undiluted  internally.      The  stronger  ones 
are  too  irritating  to  the  gastric  mucous  membrane. 
The   presence   of   a    considerable    amount    of    free 
carbonic  acid  in  many  of  them  favours  their  internal 
use,    makes    them     more    pleasant    to    take,    and 
augments  their  stimulating  effect  on  stomach  diges- 
tion.     Some     of    these     springs    (e.g.     Homburg) 
contain  a   fair   amount    of  iron,  which    commends 
their  use  in  the  anaemic. 

These  waters,  taken  fasting,  increase  gastric  tone 
and  function,  and  increase  the  renal  secretion,  and 
the  stronger  and  rather  more  concentrated  ones 
(Kissingen)  augment  intestinal  secretion  and  act  as 
aperients.  They  improve  nutrition,  and  do  not,  like 
other  aperient  waters,  cause  emaciation.  They 
should  therefore  be  preferred  for  emaciated  dys- 
peptics. They  are  used  in  forms  of  atonic  dyspepsia 
and  chronic  gastro-duodenal  and  intestinal  catarrh,  in 
abdominal  stasis  and  hemorrhoids,  in  chronic 
catarrhal  affections  of  the  respiratory  organs  (in  these 
it  is  often  advisable  to  add  a  little  hot  milk  or 
whey  to  cold  springs),  in  scrofula  and  rachitis 
(especially  those  springs  containing  iodine  and 
bromine),  and  in  some  gouty  arthritic  conditions. 

3.  The  whole  of  the  alkaline  class  of  waters  are 
of  great  importance   for   internal  use,  whether  we 


36  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

consider  (a)  the  simple  alkaline  waters,  (b)  the 
alkaline  common  salt  waters,  or  (c)  the  alkaline 
sodium  sulphate  waters. 

These  all  owe  their  alkalinity  to  the  presence  of 
sodium  bicarbonate.  The  simple  alkaline  group 
contain  also  a  considerable  amount  of  free  car- 
bonic acid.  Vichy  and  Vals  are  types  of  this 
group. 

These  waters  act  as  antacids  in  gastric  hyper- 
acidity ;  they  allay  gastric  irritability,  and  stimulate 
and  regulate  the  gastric  functions.  They  also, 
especially  when  warm,  exert  a  cleansing  action  on 
the  gastric  mucosa  in  catarrhal  conditions,  dissolving 
stringy  mucus  adhering  to  the  gastric  walls  and 
washing  it  away.  They  also  tend  to  counteract 
abnormal  fermentative  processes  ;  they  are  therefore 
used  largely  as  remedial  agents  in  dyspepsia  and 
gastric  and  gastro-intestinal  catarrhs.  They  dilute 
the  bile  and  promote  its  secretion  and  its  free  flow 
by  flushing  the  bile  ducts,  and  are  thus  found  of 
great  service  in  the  treatment  of  gall  stones  and 
catarrh  of  the  bile  ducts. 

The  colder  springs  are  more  diuretic.  These 
waters  are  useful  in  neutralising  hyperacidity  of  the 
urine  and  in  liquefying  accumulations  of  mucus  in 
the  bladder,  and  are  therefore  of  value  in  the  treat- 
ment of  cases  of  vesical  catarrh  dependent  on  hyper- 
acid  urine — they  act  as  solvents  of  uric  acid 
(Pfeiffer),  and  are  of  great  value  in  cases  of  uric 
and  oxalic  acid  renal  calculi. 

They  increase  temporarily  the  alkalinity  of  the 
blood,  promote  nutritive  metabolism,  cleanse  the 
blood  and  the  tissues,  and  are  therefore  useful  in 
some  forms  of  gout  and  of  the  uric  acid  diathesis,  and 
are  especially  serviceable  in  cases  of  gouty  glycosuria 
and  diabetes. 

The  warm  springs  are  recommended  in  the  treat- 
ment of  chronic  catarrhs  of  the  air  passages, 
pharyngeal,  laryngeal,  and  bronchial,  because  of 
their  solvent  and  liquefying  effect  on  thick  and 


SECT.  A.]  INTERNAL    ACTION.  37 

inspissated    mucus,    so    that    they    prove    effective 
expectorants. 

The  second  group  of  alkaline  waters — the  alkaline 
and  common  salt  waters — are  employed  in  much  the 
same  class  of  cases  as  the  first,  but  the  presence  of 
•  a  notable  but  not  a  large  amount  of  sodium  chloride 
modifies  the  action  of  the  alkaline  water,  and  deter- 
mines to  a  certain  extent  its  applicability. 

It  has  been  pointed  out  that  the  weaker  waters 
of  this  class  approximate  in  composition  to  that  of  a 
physiological  saline  solution.  They  are  regarded  as 
less  likely  than  the  preceding  group  to  cause  loss  of 
flesh,  as  sodium  chloride  promotes  the  absorption 
and  assimilation  of  nutritive  substances  ;  also  as  less 
depressing,  and  better  adapted  therefore  to  atonic 
conditions  ;  and  as  less  likely  to  render  the  urine  too 
alkaline. 

The  presence  of  sodium  chloride  is  believed  to 
increase  their  solvent  action  on  uric  acid,  and  to 
inhibit  its  precipitation.  They  are  found  to  be 
more  applicable  to  the  treatment  of  atonic  gout 
(Roy at),  and  to  be  more  particularly  indicated 
in  the  treatment  of  chronic  and  subacute 
catarrhs  of  the  respiratory  passages  (Ems),  as 
they  exercise  a  greater  fluidifying  effect  on  the 
secretion  of  the  respiratory  mucous  membrane. 
They  are  frequently  prescribed  for  gargling  and 
inhalation  (sprays). 

The  springs  of  the  third  group — the  alkaline  and 
sodium  sulphate  waters — are  of  great  therapeutic 
importance.  They  are  amongst  the  most  effective 
and  reliable  of  mineral  waters. 

In  full  doses  they  have  a  purgative  action,  the 
cold  ones  being  more  active  in  this  respect  than  the 
warm.  They  stimulate  intestinal  peristalsis  and 
liquefy  the  intestinal  contents.  This  effect  is  believed 
to  be  due  to  the  small  amount  of  the  salts  absorbed 
in  the  stomach  and  upper  part  of  the  alimentary  tract, 
so  that  considerable  portions  pass  on  into  the  large 
intestine.  The  cold  springs  also  have  a  marked 


38  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

diuretic  effect.     The  warm  ones  are  less  aperient  and 
less  diuretic. 

The  metamorphosis  of  fat  is  increased  by  these 
springs.  Like  other  alkaline  waters,  they  exert  a 
stimulating  effect  on  the  flow  of  bile  and  a  solvent 
action  on  uric  acid.  These  springs  are  found  of  great 
service  in  cases  of  abdominal  plethora  with  constipa- 
tion and  haemorrhoids,  especially  in  "  high  feeders." 
The  cold  and  more  purgative  waters  are  best  suited 
to  such  cases.  They  also  have  a  more  powerful 
effect  in  the  reduction  of  fat,  and  are  largely 
frequented  by  obese  patients  (Marienbad). 

The  warm  springs  (Carlsbad)  are  more  suitable  to 
the  treatment  of  gastric  and  intestinal  catarrh,  cases 
of  catarrhal  jaundice,  of  gall  stones,  of  hepatic  con- 
gestion and  hypertrophy,  as  well  as  splenic  hyper- 
trophy, the  sequel  of  malarial  fever ;  of  cases  also  of 
uric  acid  gravel  and  gout  and  gouty  or  fat  diabetics. 

The  close  attention  to  diet  which  :s  usually 
observed  at  these  spas  contributes  largely  to  the 
good  results  obtained. 

4.  The  next  class  of  mineral  waters  distinguished 
by  the  considerable  amounts  they  contain  of  the 
aperient  sulphates  of  magnesium  and  sodium,  and 
often  named  "  bitter  waters "  because  of  the  bitter 
taste  of  the  magnesium  sulphate,  are  largely  employed 
for  their  purgative  effect  in  the  treatment  of  habitual 
constipation.  Many  of  the  best  known  and  most 
active  of  this  class  are  not  drunk  at  their  sources,  but 
are  imported  in  bottles  and  taken  in  comparatively 
small  doses  (three  to  six  ounces)  at  home.  Some  of 
these  springs  contain  also  considerable  quantities  of 
sodium  chloride  (Friedrichshall)  and  smaller  amounts 
of  other  less  active  salts.  The  few  springs  of  this 
class  that  are  drunk  at  their  source  (Brides, 
Leamington)  are  much  weaker  than  those  that  are 
imported  for  home  use. 

Their  action  is  mainly  purgative  ;  they  exert 
a  stimulating  effect  on  the  secretions  of  the 
intestines,  and  tend  to  liquefy  the  tkces  as  well  as  to 


SECT.  A.]  INTERNAL    ACTION-.  & 

excite  peristaltic  action.  They  are  employed  for  the 
same  purpose  as  other  aperients.  They  have  been 
found  useful  in  the  treatment  of  obesity  (Apenta, 
Brides  les  Bains).  Courses  of  the  milder  springs 
(Brides,  Leamington)  are  sometimes  prescribed  as 
alternatives  to  the  alkaline  sodium  sulphate  waters 
in  gastric  and  hepatic  affections. 

5.  The  internal  use  of  chalybeate  waters  is  very 
efficacious  in  the  treatment  of  many  forms  of  anaemia 
and  chlorosis.  The  most  useful  of  the  iron  springs 
are  those  which  contain  bicarbonate  of  iron  together 
with  a  large  amount  of  free  carbonic  acid.  The 
combination  is  an  important  one,  and  promotes  the 
digestion  of  the  water  and  therefore  the  assimilation 
of  the  iron.  It  is  certain  that  the  use  of  such  waters 
for  some  weeks  is  followed  by  an  increase  in  the 
number  of  red  blood  corpuscles  and  in  the  amount  of 
haemoglobin.  An  increase  in  the  elimination  of  urea 
and  in  the  body  weight  has  also  been  noted,  and  the 
frequency  of  the  pulse  has  been  observed  to  increase, 
as  well  as  the  body  temperature  by  one  or  two 
degrees  Fahrenheit.  There  is  generally  some  im- 
provement in  appetite,  but  a  tendency  to  constipation 
has  often  to  be  guarded  against  by  the  simultaneous 
administration  of  some  gentle  aperient,  or  in  some 
obstinate  cases  it  may  be  better  to  select  a  spring 
which  contains  some  aperient  constituents  as  well  as 
iron  (Franzensbad,  Rippoldsau). 

With  regard  to  the  selection  of  an  iron  spring,  the 
important  conclusion  has  been  arrived  at  by  several 
observers,  that  in  springs  which  contain  relatively 
small  amounts,  the  iron  is  absorbed  more  readily  than 
in  those  which  contain  large  quantities. 

Authorities  are  not  agreed  as  to  the  manner  in 
which  chalybeate  waters  exert  their  remedial  in- 
fluence— whether  they  act  directly  in  increasing  the 
formation  of  haemoglobin,  or  by  protecting  the  iron 
taken  in  the  food  from  decomposition,  or  simply  by 
stimulating  the  blood-making  organs. 

Iron  waters  are  especially  indicated  in  cases  of 


40  MINERAL  SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

anaemia  and  chlorosis  following  loss  of  blood,  or 
accompanying  retarded  convalescence,  after  acute 
disease,  or  when  the  sequel  of  malarial  attacks,  or  asso- 
ciated with  general  exhaustion  from  overwork,  or 
neurasthenic  states ;  also  in  amenorrhcea  and  other 
disorders  of  the  sexual  system  accompanied  with 
debility.  The  choice,  where  possible,  of  suitable 
climatic  conditions,  adapted  to  these  various  morbid 
states,  will  exercise  an  undoubted  influence  in  the 
results  obtained. 

6.  It  is  somewhat  difficult  to  realise  what  is  the 
precise  mode  of  action,  when  taken  internally,  of  the 
class  of  earthy  or  calcareous  springs,  as  some  of 
the  cold  members  of  this  group  differ  but  little  in 
composition  and  physical  characters  from  ordinary 
springs  of  "hard"  water,  the  "hardness"  of  which 
is  due  to  the  presence,  in  considerable  amount,  of 
calcium  carbonate  and  sulphate — the  same  salts  as 
form  the  characteristic  constituents  of  these  springs. 

It  should  not  be  lost  sight  of,  moreover,  that  it  is 
especially  in  the  application  of  waters  of  this  class 
that  very  large  quantities  are  prescribed,  as  we  men- 
tion in  our  notice  of  Contrexeville,  and  it  can  scarcely 
be  doubted  that  the  large  quantity  of  water  thus 
introduced  into  the  alimentary  canal  exercises  per  se 
an  important  influence  in  the  results  obtained. 

It  is  generally  thought  that  the  presence  of  cal- 
cium and  magnesium  carbonate  in  mineral  waters 
corrects  or  inhibits  the  production  of  acid  in  the 
stomach,  and  that  these  waters  are  therefore  of  use 
in  the  treatment  of  some  forms  of  dyspepsia  and 
intestinal  catarrh  (chronic  diarrhoea) .  Owing  to  the 
astringent  effects  of  the  calcium  salts  these  springs 
tend  to  lessen  excessive  secretion  from  the  respiratory 
and  urinary  as  well  as  the  alimentary  tracts,  and  they 
are  therefore  prescribed  in  cases  of  chronic  bronchial 
catarrh  with  profuse  secretion,  and  in  cases  of  catarrh 
of  the  bladder  and  urinary  passages.  It  is  doubtful 
whether  they  possess  the  power  claimed  for  them  or 
inducing  the  breaking  up  and  expulsion  of  urinary 


SECT.  A.]  INTERNAL    ACTION.  41 

calculi,  or  of  inducing  changes  in  the  urine  leading  to 
the  solution  of  uric  acid.  They  are,  however,  largely 
prescribed  in  cases  of  urinary  concretions  and  in  cases 
of  gout  and  the  uric  acid  diathesis. 

7.  Authorities  are  by  no  means  agreed  as  to  the 
mode  of  action  of  sulphur  waters  when  taken  inter- 
nally. We  do  not  propose  to  occupy  space  in 
discussing  the  various  unsustained  hypotheses  put 
forward  by  many — chiefly  German — writers. 

It  seems  to  have  been  established,  however,  that 
even  such  small  amounts  of  sulphur  as  are  present  in 
sulphur  waters  are  capable  of  producing  stimulating 
effects  on  healthy  organs,  and  it  has  been  inferred 
that  even  smaller  amounts  may  excite  reaction  in 
diseased  organs  which  may  be  attended  with  reme- 
dial effects  (H.  Schulz).  The  beneficial  effects  that 
have  been  observed  to  follow  the  use  of  these 
waters  in  syphilis  and  in  cases  of  chronic  metallic 
poisoning  have  been  referred  to  an  augmented 
eliminatory  action  by  the  kidneys,  intestines,  and 
skin. 

The  advantages  to  be  obtained  from  them  in 
cases  of  abdominal  plethora,  with  constipation, 
haemorrhoids,  and  enlarged  liver,  have  been  stated  to 
be  due  to  their  stimulating  effect  on  intestinal  activity 
and  to  their  causing  an  increased  secretion  of  bile  ; 
this  aperient  effect,  however,  differs  much  in  different 
persons,  and  this  may  account  for  the  fact  that,  while 
they  agree  with  some  patients,  they  utterly  disagree 
with  others.  It  has  also  been  suggested  that  they 
exert  an  internal  antiseptic  action. 

It  is  certain  that  the  internal  use  of  the  warm 
sulphur  waters,  combined  with  inhalations  of  the 
warm  spray,  especially  those  springs  which  contain 
also  some  sodium  chloride,  proves  of  much  service  in 
the  treatment  of  chronic  catarrh  of  the  respiratory 
passages — pharynx,  larynx,  and  bronchi.  No  doubt 
the  solvent  action  of  the  hot  water  and  the  sodium 
salt  goes  for  much,  but  the  belief  that  the  sulphur 
exerts  a  specific  effect  on  the  respiratory  mucous 
c* 


42  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

membrane  is  widely  entertained  by  the   physicians 
practising  at  some  of  these  spas. 

Little  need  be  said,  in  this  place,  as  to  the  action 
of  the  so-called  lithium,  the  iodine  and  bromine,  and 
the  arsenical  springs.  These  mineral  substances 
may  be  taken  to  have  the  same  physiological  and 
therapeutic  effects  as  when  given  in  the  ordinary 
pharmaceutical  preparations. 

The  fashion  of  claiming  important  remedial  effects, 
in  gouty  states  and  in  tendencies  to  uric  acid 
depositions,  for  waters  containing  minimal  amounts 
of  lithium  salts  is  rapidly  passing  away,  having  been 
pushed  to  the  verge  of  absurdity. 

The  iodo-bromine  waters  are  applicable  to  the 
treatment  of  precisely  the  same  cases  as  those  treated 
by  the  ordinary  preparations  of  those  drugs.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  the  waters  containing  arsenic  ; 
they  certainly  often  present  the  means  of  giving  very 
mild  and  prolonged  courses  of  this  remedy  in  con- 
nection with  climatic  conditions  calculated  to  enhance 
its  remedial  effects.  Those  containing  arsenic  in 
association  with  sulphate  of  iron  (Levico)  are  re- 
garded as  very  efficient  blood  restorers  in  anaemic 
and  chlorotic  states,  and  in  associated  enlargement  of 
the  lymphatic  glands  and  the  torpid  forms  of  scrofula, 
in  malarial  cachexia,  and  in  neuralgias. 


43 


CHAPTER   III. 

ACCESSORY  MEASURES  EMPLOYED  IN  CONNECTION 
WITH   MINERAL   WATER   CURES. 

Medicated  Baths—"  Moor  "  or  Peat  and  Mud  Baths— Sand  Baths- 
Gas  Baths— Sun  and  Light  Baths— Electric  Methods -Massage 
and  Mechanical  Exercises— The  ' '  Terrain- Kur  ' '  Diet— Climatic 
Conditions— Hydrotherapy — After-Cures. 

IN  this  chapter  we  propose  to  pass  in  review  the 
many  accessory  measures  that  are  applied  in  numerous 
spas  to  supplement,  strengthen,  enhance,  or  modify 
the  effects  of  the  mineral  waters.  And  first,  with 
regard  to  the  preparation  of  aromatic  and  medicated 
baths.  In  these  baths,  substances  are  added  to  the 
mineral  water,  for  the  purpose  of  exercising  some 
remedial  influence  on  the  skin  and  peripheral  nerves, 
over  and  above  that  which  may  be  expected  from 
the  mineral  water  itself.  The  pine-needle  bath  is 
one  of  the  most  familiar  of  these.  It  is  made  by 
adding  to  the  bath  a  decoction  of  the  needles  and 
young  shoots  of  firs  or  pines,  or  the  addition  of  the 
ethereal  oil  (fir-wood  oil),  or  the  tincture  or  spirituous 
extract  acts  as  well.  It  is  believed  that  the  volatile 
ethereal  constituents  penetrate  the  epidermis,  stimu- 
late the  cutaneous  circulation  and  the  peripheral 
nerves,  and  are  eliminated  through  the  renal,  pul- 
monary, and  cutaneous  channels.  Similar  effects 
follow  the  addition  of  aromatic  herbs  to  the  bath 
water — as  camomile,  wild  thyme,  elder-flower, 
sweetflag,  peppermint,  spearmint,  lavender,  sweet 
marjoram,  balm,  sage,  etc.  For  a  full  bath  about 
i ^  to  2  Ib.  of  the  herbs  are  tied  up  in  a  bag  and 
infused  in  a  gallon  of  boiling  water,  the  juices 
expressed,  and  the  infusion  added  to  the  bath.  The 


44  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

addition  of  the  equivalent  quantity  of  the  spirituous 
extract  or  tincture  of  those  herbs  answers  as  well. 
Alkaline  or  "lye"  baths  are  sometimes  prepared  by 
adding  common  washing  soda  to  the  bath  in  the 
proportion  of  about  forty  to  sixty  grains  to  three 
gallons  of  water.  This  mixture  is  often  used  for  local 
foot  baths  as  a  derivative  measure  in  cases  of  cerebral 
congestion  or  congestion  of  the  thoracic  viscera. 
Decoctions  of  bran,  starchy  or  malt  are  also  some- 
times added  to  baths  to  allay  irritation. 

Astringent  baths  are  likewise  prepared  by  the 
addition  to  the  water  of  the  bath  of  decoctions  of 
oak  bark,  elm-willow  bark,  or  walnut  leaves. 

In  many  Continental  spas  baths  are  prepared  oi 
"peat"  or  Moor  (the  term  used  in  Germany)  or 
"  mud,"  with  which  the  mineral  water  is  mixed. 

Mineral  peat  consists  of  decomposing  vegetable 
soil  that  has  been  for  a  very  long  period  in  contact 
with  mineral  water,  so  that  it  has  undergone  peculiar 
chemical  changes,  and  is  found  to  contain  certain  acids 
and  salts,  such  as  sulphuric  and  formic  acid,  iron 
sulphate  and  phosphate,  sodium  chloride,  aluminium, 
silica,  resin,  and  other  substances.  The  peat,  after 
exposure  to  the  air  and  weather,  becomes  disintegrated, 
and  is  in  this  state  mixed  with  hot  mineral  water 
until  it  acquires  the  consistency  needed.  The  compo- 
sition of  these  peat  baths  must  necessarily  vary 
considerably,  according  to  the  salts  in  the  mineral 
spring  mixed  with  them,  the  character  of  the  decom- 
posing vegetable  substances  which  form  the  principal 
portion  of  the  peat,  etc.  Peat  has  been  described  as 
saline  peat  when  the  earth  is  especially  rich  in 
alkaline  sulphates  and  earthy  salts,  ferruginous  peat 
when  it  contains  much  iron  sulphate,  and  sulphurous 
peat  when  sulphur  or  sulphuretted  hydrogen  is  present 
in  it. 

"Mud"  baths  are  prepared  with  the  deposits 
which  are  precipitated  from  many  mineral  waters, 
as  the  "  fango  "  at  Battaglia,  or  from  muddy  deposits 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  mineral  springs,  as  at 


SECT.  A.]  ACCESSORY   MEASURES.  45 

St.  Amand,  Dax,  etc.  These  muds  are  mixed  in 
suitable  proportions  with  the  thermal  water. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  these  baths  act  like 
large  poultices  to  the  surface  of  the  body,  and  that, 
besides  the  influence  of  their  temperature,  the  weight 
of  the  peat  exerts  a  considerable  mechanical  effect  on 
the  skin  through  compression  and  friction,  while  the 
saline  and  acid  substances  in  the  peat  may  have  a 
stimulating  effect  on  the  cutaneous  nerves.  Kisch 
noted  as  a  result  of  his  observations  on  the  effect  of 
the  peat  baths  at  Marienbad,  that  the  pulse  was 
accelerated  eight  to  twelve  beats  a  minute,  the  blood 
pressure  increased  in  proportion  to  the  density  of 
the  peat,  the  respirations  increased  in  frequency,  the 
temperature  of  the  body  elevated,  the  perspiration  in- 
creased, the  secretion  of  urine  lessened,  its  solids 
increased  except  the  phosphates ;  and  in  women  there 
was  augmentation  of  the  menstrual  flow. 

These  baths  are  appropriate  to  cases  in  which 
it  is  desired  to  raise  the  body  heat  and  to  pro- 
duce powerful  stimulation  of  the  skin.  They  prove 
useful,  therefore,  in  gout  and  rheumatism,  and 
in  neuralgias  of  gouty  or  rheumatic  origin ;  in  some 
forms  of  peripheral  paralysis,  in  rheumatic,  gouty, 
and  other  exudations.  They  have  been  found 
useful  in  some  chronic  affections  of  the  female 
sexual  organs,  as  metritis,  parametritis,  and  disorders 
of  menstruation. 

The  sulphurous  peat  baths,  in  addition  to  their 
suitability  to  cases  of  chronic  gout  and  rheumatism, 
are  also  useful  in  traumatic  cases,  and  the  sulphurous 
mud  baths  in  diseases  of  the  joints,  neuralgias,  and 
paralysis. 

In  some  of  the  Continental  seaside  resorts  thermal 
baths  are  prepared  from  sea-mud.  Hot  sand  baths 
are  also  applied  in  some  resorts,  as  in  Ischia.  They 
have  been  introduced,  too,  at  Lavey  in  Switzerland. 

In  some  spas  dry  gas  baths  are  given  with  the 
gases  proceeding  from  the  springs,  chiefly  either  car- 
bonic acid  or  sulphuretted  hydrogen.  It  is  doubtful 


46  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I. 

if  these  are  of  any  great  utility,  but  some  bath 
physicians  think  them  of  service.  These  gases  are 
also  applied  as  local  douches. 

The  cabinets  used  for  gas  baths  are  made  of 
wood,  and  are  furnished  with  a  lid  in  which  there  is 
an  opening  for  the  neck  or  chest,  and  the  patient  is 
seated  in  the  bath  so  that  only  the  lower  portion  of 
the  body  below  the  waist  is  enclosed,  the  head  or 
the  whole  of  the  upper  part  of  the  body  remaining 
free.  The  patient,  except  that  he  removes  his  shoes, 
does  not  undress,  for  the  gas  readily  penetrates  the 
clothing  and  reaches  the  skin.  The  bath  usually 
lasts  about  ten  to  twenty  minutes,  care  being  taken 
that  the  gas  is  not  inhaled. 

Such  baths  of  carbonic  acid  are  said  to  cause 
capillary  congestion  and  stimulation  of  the  activity  of 
the  skin  and  of  the  cutaneous  nerves,  with  an 
increase  of  general  sensibility ;  but  if  too  prolonged, 
a  depressing  effect  on  the  circulatory  and  respiratory 
functions  becomes  manifest,  probably  from  absorption 
of  the  gas  through  the  skin. 

They  are  prescribed  (at  Franzensbad,  Marienbad, 
and  elsewhere)  in  cases  of  neuralgia  and  peripheral 
paralysis,  in  nervous  impotence  in  the  male,  in 
vesical  atony,  in  some  torpid  skin  affections,  and  in 
menstrual  derangements,  as  amenorrhcea,  dysmenor- 
rhcea ;  and  vaginal  douches  of  the  gas  are  given  in 
some  forms  of  vaginismus.  When  used  as  local 
douches  to  the  surface  the  skin  should  be  kept  moist 
over  the  painful  parts. 

Sulphuretted  hydrogen  gas  is  applied  in  the  same 
way,  but  it  is  generally  mixed  with  carbonic  acid  or 
nitrogen.  Its  action  is  sedative  to  the  cutaneous 
nerves,  and  therefore  reduces  general  nervous  irrita- 
bility. At  the  same  time  circulatory  and  respiratory 
activity  is  lessened. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  gas  may  be 
absorbed  by  the  skin  and  by  inhalation,  and  may 
cause  toxic  effects  if  absorbed  in  too  large  quantity. 

These  baths  are  used   (at  Aix  la  Chapelle   and 


SECT.  A.J  ACCESSORY   MEASURES:  47 

elsewhere)  in  cases  of  general  hypersesthesia,  hysteria, 
neuralgia,  and  certain  chronic  exanthemata. 

Steam  baths,  hot-air  baths,  spray  baths  are  well 
known  and  familiar  therapeutic  agents  which  form  an 
essential  part  of  the  treatment  in  many  spas,  and  can 
hardly  be  regarded  as  accessories. 

Sun  and  light  baths. — We  are  not  aware  that 
"  sun  "  baths  have  been  generally  utilised  in  connec- 
tion with  mineral  waters,  but  at  Veldes,  Ober-Krain, 
Austria  (station  Lees- Veldes,  an  hour  from  Lerbach), 
a  "sun  and  air"  cure  is  established,  and  there  the 
patients,  very  lightly  clothed,  or  practically  naked, 
are,  in  fine  weather,  in  the  open  air,  exposed,  in  an 
enclosure,  to  the  direct  sun  heat.  Being  much  in  the 
open  air  in  a  sunny  locality  no  doubt  proves  a  valu- 
able auxiliary  to  many  mineral  water  cures,  without 
going  to  the  extent  of  such  exposure  as  is  practised  at 
Veldes. 

In  many  spas,  such  as  H arrogate,  for  example, 
radial  heat  and  light  are  largely  used  as  accessories 
to  the  mineral  water  cure,  by  means  of  the  incandes- 
cent electric  light  bath  or  cabinet.  It  is  said  to  have 
"  no  equal  as  a  sudorific  measure  "  (Kellogg),  it  pro- 
motes the  absorption  of  exudations,  and  acts,  in  some 
cases,  as  a  tonic  and  stimulant  to  nutrition.  It  in- 
creases oxidation  and  improves  metabolism,  and  is 
on  that  account  of  service  in  the  treatment  of  gout, 
rheumatism,  and  hepatic  inadequacy  ;  also  in  obesity 
and  fat  diabetics.  It  is  of  great  value  in  sciatica 
and  many  other  forms  of  neuralgia,  as  well  as  in 
cases  of  autointoxication  and  metallic  poisonings. 
"  In  chlorosis  and  anaemia  the  most  excellent  results 
are  obtained"  (Kellogg),  and  it  is  of  use  in  some 
forms  of  nephritis  by  its  derivative  effect  on  the  skin. 
It  is  certain  that  the  electric  incandescent  light 
bath  is  a  most  important  and  valuable  accessory  to 
mineral  water  treatment. 

Much  difference  of  opinion  exists  as  to  the  value 
of  the  application  of  the  older  electric  bath  as  applied 
in  many  spas  ;  but  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  the 


48  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  (PART  1. 

use  of  the  various  electric  methods,  as  employed  by 
skilled  operators,  at  such  baths  as  Gastein,  Bath, 
Buxton,  and  Aix,  has  been  found  of  eminent  service. 

Nowadays  there  are  few,  if  any,  mineral  water 
cures  that  do  not  rely  upon  massage  or  some  form 
of  mechanical  exercise  as  indispensable  auxiliaries  to 
the  course. 

Massage  may  be  either  general  or  local.  The 
former  enters  largely  into  our  ordinary  daily  practice, 
and  it  is  the  latter  that  is  practised  most  commonly  in 
connection  with  mineral  water  cures.  It  is  applied  in 
a  great  variety  of  morbid  states — neuralgias  and  myal- 
gias, passive  effusions,  exudations,  stiff  joints,  chronic 
rheumatism  and  gout,  constipation,  muscular  wasting, 
and  loss  of  power,  etc.,  etc. 

At  Aix  les  Bains  was  instituted  a  combination 
of  massage  with  the  hot  douche — a  method  which 
has  been  introduced  into  many  other  spas.  At 
Bourbonne  les  Bains  the  thermal  douche  is  applied 
with  such  force  that  it  is  said  to  have  the  same 
effect  as  massage. 

At  many  spas  (Baden-Baden,  Nauheim,  Ragatz, 
etc.,  etc.)  "  Zander  institutes  "  have  been  established 
for  Swedish  gymnastics  and  with  mechanical  appli- 
ances for  graduated  exercises  in  great  variety.  At 
other  spas  (Homburg,  etc.)  Ling's  system  of  Swedish 
gymnastics  is  applied  ;  and  at  Nauheim  the  now 
well-known  "  resistance  exercises  "  *  are  carried  out  in 
the  treatment  of  cardiac  affections.  Oertel's  "  Terrain- 
Kur  "  has  been  organised  at  certain  spas  situated  in 
suitable  hilly  countries  (Aussee,  Baden-Baden,  etc.) 
for  graduated  uphill  walks  especially  intended  for 
the  treatment  of  cases  of  cardiac  debility  associated 
with  obesity.  The  extent  and  nature  of  the  exercises 
undertaken  by  such  patients  are  determined  by  the 
bath  physician,  and  should  by  no  means  be  left  to  the 
discretion  of  the  patient.  Unfortunately,  serious 
consequences  have  occasionally  followed  the  adoption 

*  Described  in  the  author's  "Manual  of  Medical  Treatment," 
vol.  i.,  p.  396  et  seq. 


SECT.  A.]          ACCESSORY  MEASURES.  49 

of  this  method,  and  we  hardly  think  it  can  be  claimed 
to  have  yielded  many  brilliant  results.  A  certain 
amount  of  regular  muscular  exercise  is  a  valuable 
accessory  to  mineral  water  treatment  in  cases  of 
glycosuria  in  the  robust.  It  helps  to  use  up  the 
sugar  circulating  in  the  blood ;  but  feeble  and  thin 
diabetics  often  bear  muscular  exertion  very  badly. 

The  importance  of  establishing  and  carrying  out  a 
suitable  diet,  or  of  initiating  desirable  changes  in 
dietetic  habits,  in  connection  with  courses  of  mineral 
waters,  cannot  be  over-estimated.  And  although  the 
indiscriminate  application  of  a  rigid  system,  to  all 
patients  alike,  cannot  be  commended,  the  experienced 
guidance  and  direction  of  the  spa  physicians  should 
never  be  disregarded.  The  acquirement  of  more 
wholesome  and  rational  dietetic  habits  during  a 
course  of  mineral  waters,  and  their  maintenance 
afterwards,  is  one  of  the  great  advantages  attending 
this  method  of  treatment. 

At  spas  where  the  gouty,  the  dyspeptic,  and  the 
obese  are  sent  in  large  numbers  (Carlsbad,  Vichy, 
Marienbad,  etc,),  a  more  or  less  rigorous  diet  is 
essential  to  the  success  of  the  cure,  and  is  usually 
accepted  and  followed ;  but  it  would  certainly  be  an 
advantage,  at  most  other  mineral  water  resorts,  if 
the  physicians  were  enabled  to  exercise  some  control 
or  direction  over  the  food  supplied  to,  or  taken  by, 
the  patients. 

Altered  climatic  conditions,  the  "  change  of  air  " 
and  surroundings,  often  prove  of  the  greatest  service 
as  auxiliaries  to  mineral  water  treatment.  Many 
popular  mineral  springs  are  situated  in  mountainous 
districts,  at  considerable  elevations.  St.  Moritz,  in 
Switzerland,  is  at  an  elevation  of  nearly  6,000  feet ; 
Tarasp,  4,000  ;  Bormio,  in  Italy,  about  4,500 ; 
Gastein,  in  Austria,  3,300 ;  Mt.  Dore,  in  France, 
3,400 ;  Buxton,  in  Derbyshire,  1,000 ;  and  Llan- 
drindod,  in  Mid-Wales,  about  700  feet.  In  these  situa- 
tions the  tonic,  bracing  influence  of  mountain  air 
undoubtedly  enhances  the  good  effect  of  the  mineral 


50  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

treatment,  or  counteracts,  in  other  instances,  any 
exhausting  tendency  it  may  have.  In  many  otheV 
instances  we  find  that  the  most  frequented  spas  are 
situated  in  the  midst  of  romantic  and  picturesque 
forest,  or  mountain,  or  lake  scenery,  which  has  a 
soothing,  restful,  and  advantageous  moral  effect  on 
the  visitors.  We  have  only  to  mention  such  resorts 
as  Baden-Baden,  Wildbad,  and  others  in  the  Black 
Forest,  Luchon  and  Eaux  Bonnes  in  the  Pyrenees, 
Royat  in  Auvergne,  Spa  in  Belgium,  Strathpeffer  in 
the  Scottish  Highlands. 

Then  we  find  in,  or  adjacent  to,  many  home  and 
Continental  spas  institutions  for  the  application  of  the 
methods  of  hydrotherapy,  as  a  substitute  for,  or  as 
supplementary  or  complementary  to,  the  mineral 
water  courses.  There  are  well-known  "hydros"  at 
Harrogate  and  Buxton,  and  the  same  is  the  case  in 
many  French  and  German  mineral  water  stations. 

Finally,  we  may  here  refer  to  the  subject  or 
"  after -cures  "  as  an  essential  part  of  most  courses  of 
mineral  waters.  It  is  certainly  most  undesirable, 
after  a  course  of  mineral  waters  and  baths,  to  return 
at  once  to  the  cares  and  anxieties  of  business,  or 
household  management,  or  to  fulfil  social  engage- 
ments. A  period  of  calm  and  repose,  in  cheerful 
surroundings,  is  most  useful  in  consolidating  and  con- 
firming the  good  effects  of  bath  treatment. 

In  selecting  a  suitable  place  for  an  "  after-cure," 
regard  must  be  had  to  the  nature  of  the  patient's 
malady,  to  the  locality  and  its  neighbourhood  in 
which  the  "  cure  "  has  been  carried  out,  and  to  the 
local  knowledge,  experience,  and  counsel  of  the  bath 
physician.  In  many  cases  it  will  be  desirable,  in 
returning  from  the  Continent,  to  select  a  resort  con- 
veniently placed  on  the  homeward  route,  so  as  to 
divide  the  journey  and  lessen  the  fatigue  of  travelling. 
Often  suitable  mountain  resorts  exist  close  to  the  spa, 
and  therefore  very  accessible,  as  the  stations  on 
Mt.  Revard,  close  to  Aix  les  Bains.  On  returning 
from  French  baths,  there  is  Fontainebleau  and  St. 


SECT.  A.]  "AFTER-CURES."  51 

Germain,  inland  resorts,  or  Dieppe  on  the  Channel,  or 
our  own  south  coast  resorts,  including  the  Isle  of 
Wight.  On  the  way  back  from  Germany  there  is 
Spa,  with  beautiful  surroundings  for  drives  and  walks  ; 
or,  on  the  sea  coast,  Ostend,  Blankenberghe,  Neukirke, 
Scheveningen  ;  or  Ramsgate,  Folkestone  and  Hythe 
on  our  own  coast. 

Except  for  some  anaemic  and  neurasthenic  cases, 
we  do  not  consider  places  situated  at  great  elevations 
(5,000  to  7,000  feet)  well  adapted  for  "  after-cures.'* 
The  air  often  proves  exciting  and  irritating,  the  rapid 
changes  of  temperature  are  keenly  felt,  and  in  cold 
seasons  and  in  persons  with  feeble  circulations,  chilli- 
ness and  depression  are  apt  to  be  complained  of. 
Medium  elevations  of  3,000  to  4000  feet,  such  as 
Mt.  de  Caux  or  Les  Avants,  above  Montreux,  or 
Beatenberg,  above  Thun,  or  Engelberg,  near  Lucerne, 
or  the  Dolden,  near  Zurich,  and  the  numerous  Black 
Forest  resorts,  such  as  St.  Blasien,  Triberg,  etc.,  are 
safer  and  more  generally  suitable.  But  in  the  choice 
of  an  "  after-cure"  many  considerations  personal  to 
each  individual  have  to  be  weighed  and  dis- 
criminated. 


SECTION  B. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  THE   PRINCIPAL  MINERAL 
SPRINGS. 

WE  now  proceed  to  give  some  account  of  the  chief 
mineral  springs,  arranged  in  alphabetical  order.  The 
less  important  ones  will  be  found  in  smaller  type  at 
the  end  of  each  alphabetical  group. 

Aix  la  Chapelle  (Aachen),  now  united  with 
Borcette  (Burtscheid)  into  one  community  (Aachen- 
Burtscheid),  is  a  well-known  thermal  sulphur  bath, 
situated  on  the  railway  between  Brussels  and 
Cologne,  and  conveniently  accessible  from  London 
in  eleven  or  twelve  hours.  Aachen  is  now  a  large 
town  with  about  1 40,000  inhabitants  ;  it  is  pleasantly 
situated,  at  an  elevation  of  530  feet,  on  the  slopes  of 
the  Lousberg,  and  is  surrounded  by  wooded  hills 
ranging  from  750  to  1,120  feet  high.  It  lies  on  the 
western  frontier  of  Germany,  on  the  borders  oi 
Holland  and  Belgium.  The  soil  on  which  it  is 
built  is  of  porous  sand,  which  readily  absorbs  heavy 
downfalls  of  rain,  leaving  the  streets  and  paths 
quickly  dry  again.  It  has  a  medium  temperate 
climate,  not  very  hot  in  summer,  and  the  cold  oi 
winter  is  said  to  be  mitigated  by  the  heat  given 
into  the  atmosphere  by  the  hot  springs. 

Its  history  as  a  bath  stretches  back  into  a 
remote  antiquity.  Charlemagne,  whose  -  remains 
repose  in  its  cathedral,  has  been  regarded  not  only 
as  the  founder  of  the  town  but  as  the  discoverer  oi 
the  springs,  but  there  exist  evidences  (relics  of  the 
stone  age)  near  the  hot  springs  that  they  were  used 
by  the  primitive  inhabitants  of  the  country ;  there 
are  also  ruins  of  Roman  baths,  showing  that  they 
were  utilised  in  later  times  by  the  Romans. 


SECT.  B.]     AIX   LA    CHAPELLE  (AACHEN}.  53 

The  characteristic  components  of  the  numerous 
springs  are  sodium  chloride  and  sodium  sulphide, 
together  with  sulphuretted  hydrogen  ;  they  differ 
only  in  temperature  and  the  relative  amounts  of 
the  sulphur  compounds  they  contain. 

If  we  take  the  strongest  of  the  springs,  the 
Kaiserquelle,  we  find  it  contains  4*1215  grammes  of 
salts  per  litre,  sodium  chloride  2' 6 39,  sodium  bicarbon- 
ate 0*918,  sodium  sulphate  0*152,  sodium  sulphide 
0*01  i,  calcium  bicarbonate  0*227,  magnesium  bicarbon- 
ate 0*077,  bicarbonate  of  protoxide  of  iron  0*013, 
minute  amounts  of  lithium  chloride,  strontium 
sulphate,  and  sodium  bromide  and  iodide,  silicic 
acid,  and  organic  matter.  Its  temperature  is 
131°  F.  A  temperature  of  172°  F.  has  been 
found  in  connection  with  one  of  the  springs — the 
Schwertbad — which  is  said  to  be  the  hottest  spring 
in  Central  Europe.  In  the  great  bath  establish- 
ments, of  which  there  are  several,  we  find  both 
hotel  accommodation  and  baths  combined  —  an 
arrangement  obviously  of  great  convenience  to  the 
patients.  The  Kaiserbad,  the  chief  of  these,  is 
supplied  by  the  Kaiser-spring,  so  also  is  the  Neu- 
bad  and  the  Konigin  von  Ungarn.  The  drinking 
fountain,  Elisenbrunnen,  in  the  Elisen  Gardens,  is 
also  supplied  by  pipes  from  the  Kaiser-spring. 

The  Quirinusbad  possesses  three  springs. 

The  Rosenbad  spring  supplies  also  the  Comp- 
hausbad  and  in  part  the  new  and  very  complete 
Corneliusbad.  These  bath-houses  belong  to  the 
city  of  Aix  la  Chapelle. 

There  are  several  bath-houses  at  Burtscheid 
where  the  hottest  springs  are  found  ;  twenty-eight 
are  in  use  ! 

It  is  as  well  to  be  aware  that  there  are  a 
"  Kaiserbad  "  Hotel,  a  "  Rosenbad  "  Hotel,  and  a 
"  Neubad  "  Hotel  at  both  Aachen  and  Burtscheid, 
and  visitors  must  give  explicit  directions  as  to  which 
they  wish  to  be  taken  to. 

The  thermal  waters  are   administered   here,    as 


54  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

elsewhere,  as  ordinary  baths,  varying  in  temper- 
ature according  to  the  doctor's  prescription  ;  and 
as  douche  baths,  in  which  systematic  friction  and 
gentle  massage  are  combined  with  the  douche — the 
massage  is  applied  while  the  bath  is  filling  and 
the  patient  remains  in  the  bath  for  a  time  after- 
wards. This  is  found  to  be  a  most  efficacious  and 
agreeable  form  of  bath  when  applied  by  a  skilful 
attendant.  The  Scotch  douche  (alternately  warm  and 
cold)  is  given,  as  well  as  other  forms.  Vapour 
baths  also  are  used.  Those  who  drink  the  waters 
take  them  about  an  hour  before  breakfast.  It  is 
usual  to  take  some  exercise  between  each  glass. 

Inhalation  and  pulverisation  rooms  and  ap- 
paratus for  the  local  application  of  the  water  to  the 
nose,  larynx  and  other  parts  are  also  provided. 

There  is  at  Aix  a  "  Zander "  institute  for  the 
application  of  Swedish  gymnastics.  Mud  baths  are 
given  in  the  Schlossbad. 

As  to  the  maladies  suitable  for  treatment  here : — 
Chronic  catarrhal  affections  of  the  respiratory  and 
gastro-intestinal  mucous  membranes  are  benefited 
by  the  inhalations,  the  baths,  and  the  internal  ad- 
ministration of  the  alkaline  chloride  of  sodium  and 
sulphuretted  waters.  Chronic  arthritis,  rheumatic 
or  gouty,  stiff  joints,  and  muscular  pains  are  greatly 
advantaged  by  the  hot  baths,  together  with  the 
douche-massage  as  applied  there. 

Chronic  skin  diseases  are  sent  there,  as  to  other 
sulphur  baths  ;  eczema,  acne,  and  psoriasis  especially  ; 
and  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  doctors  at 
Aix  do  not  hesitate  to  use,  at  the  same  time,  the 
ordinary  medicinal  remedies  for  such  affections. 
Certain  forms  of  neuralgia,  paralysis,  and  tabes  are 
treated  there. 

Finally,  Aachen  has  a  very  special  reputation  in 
the  treatment  of  syphilis.  Weber  says  that  "  70  per 
cent,  of  the  patients  visiting  the  Spa  are  syphilitics  "  ! 
By  regular,  free  mercurial  inunction  a  vigorous  anti- 
syphilitic  treatment  is  systematically  carried  out,  and 


SECT.  B.]  A IX   LES   BAINS.  55 

the  hot  sulphur  baths,  by  promoting  absorption  and 
favouring  change  of  tissue,  aiding  nutrition  and 
stimulating  elimination  through  the  skin  and  other 
excretory  organs,  influence  powerfully  the  curative 
action  of  specific  remedies. 

A  table  water  is  manufactured  from  some  of  these 
springs  by  the  removal  of  sulphur  and  the  addition 
of  carbonic  acid  gas. 

The  season  at  Aix  la  Chapelle  is  practically 
all  the  year  round. 

The  charges  at  the  private  bath-houses  at  Aachen- 
Burtscheid  are  less  than  at  the  municipal  bath-houses 
at  Aachen.  For  details  apply  to  the  "  Kur  Director," 
Aachen,  Germany. 

Aix  les  Bains,  or  Aix  in  Savoy,  is  one  of  the  most 
important  bathing  resorts  in  France.  Its  reputation 
is  universal ;  and  situated  as  it  is  on  one  of  the 
great  European  highways  between  the  north  and 
the  south,  between  Italy  and  France,  it  is  most  easy 
of  access  to  that  great  stream  of  travellers  who 
annually  migrate,  in  search  of  health  or  of  pleasure, 
from  the  north  to  the  south  of  Europe,  or  even 
to  Africa  and  the  Far  East.  Thus  it  is  that  Aix 
is  far  more  cosmopolitan  than  any  other  bath 
in  France,  and  with  our  own  people  it  is  espe- 
cially popular,  partly,  no  doubt,  from  its  great 
repute  in  the  treatment  of  those  very  English 
maladies,  rheumatism  and  gout.  Its  attractive  site 
and  picturesque  neighbourhood,  its  excellent  hotels, 
its  large  and  gay  casino,  and  the  brilliant  society 
which  may  frequently  be  found  there,  combine  to 
render  it  a  town  of  pleasure,  as  well  as  a  resort  for 
health. 

The  train  service  between  Paris  and  Aix  is 
exceedingly  good,  as  the  express  trains  to  Turin, 
Brindisi,  and  Rome  stop  there.  The  journey  takes 
only  between  eight  and  nine  hours. 

The  town  itself  is  about  a  mile  from  the  small 
but  very  picturesque  Lac  du  Bourget,  and  is  850 


56  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea  and  90  feet  above 
the  lake.  It  lies  in  a  wide  open  valley  surrounded 
to  some  extent,  but  by  no  means  shut  in,  by  the 
adjacent  Alps  of  Savoy.  The  town  is  well  built, 
with  wide  streets  and  shady  avenues  of  trees,  and 
gardens  surround  many  of  the  hotels  and  private 
houses.  Hotels  and  boarding-houses  and  furnished 
apartments  abound,  the  accommodation  being,  as 
usual,  proportionate  to  the  price  paid  for  it. 

Steamers  and  rowing-boats  take  visitors  to  the 
different  objects  of  interest  on  the  lake. 

Numerous  Roman  remains  are  exhibited  at  Aix, 
of  which  local  guide-books  afford  full  information. 
There  are  many  walks  and  drives,  short  and  long,  all 
full  of  interest  and  attractiveness,  and  many  ex- 
cursions by  railway  into  charming  scenery  which 
will  delight  those  who  can  spare  the  time  to  take 
them. 

Aix  is  said  to  enjoy  a  mild  and  equable  climate, 
an  entire  freedom  from  fogs,  and  to  be  protected 
from  winds  by  the  surrounding  mountains.  Nervous 
subjects  find  the  climate  soothing  and  conducive  to 
sleep,  and  those  who  find  it  too  warm  and  relaxing 
in  the  town  can  resort  to  the  cooler  and  more 
bracing  atmosphere  of  the  surrounding  hills. 

The  sources  of  Aix  (two  in  number,  Source  de 
souffre  and  Source  d'alutt)  are  sulphurous,  and  their 
characteristic  ingredient  is  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  of 
which  there  are  2  cubic  centimetres  per  litre.  Their 
temperature  ranges  from  113°  to  115°,  and  the  quan- 
tity yielded  in  twenty-four  hours  is  enormous — as 
much  as  four  million  litres.  Their  mineralisation  is 
very  feeble,  only  0*49  grammes  of  solids  per  litre, 
chiefly  carbonate  of  lime.  They  are  rich,  however, 
in  organic  matter  (baregine),  to  which  they  owe 
thejr  unctuous  feeling,  a  valuable  quality  for  massage 
under  water. 

The  so-called  "  alum  "  source  is  badly  named,  as 
it  contains  no  alum  ;  indeed  the  two  sources  are 
probably  branches  of  a  single  subterranean  canal. 


SECT.  B.J  A IX  LES    BAINS.  57 

These  hot  mineral  springs  are  utilised  in  a  variety 
of  ways  in  an  Etablissement  Thermal,  which  is 
furnished  with  every  appliance  needed  for  the 
treatment  of  the  cases  that  are  sent  there,  and  pro- 
vided with  120  skilled  masseurs  and  masseuses  ! 

The  waters  are  administered  internally  as  well 
as  applied  externally,  but  it  is  not  usual  to  give  them 
in  large  quantities,  or  to  enforce  them  on  persons 
with  delicate  digestions,  who  may  find  difficulty  in 
tolerating  them.  Two  to  four  glasses  a  day  form 
the  average  quantity,  and  when  stronger  sulphur 
waters  are  indicated  it  is  usual  to  prescribe  the  strong 
sulphur  water  of  Challes.  To  promote  elimination 
by  the  kidneys  a  water  resembling  the  Evian  water, 
"  1'eau  de  Saint  Simon,"  derived  from  a  spring  a  little 
distance  from  Aix,  is  often  ordered  to  be  drunk  by 
gouty  patients  before  or  after  the  baths  and  douches, 
or  as  a  table  \vater. 

But  it  is  to  the  mode  of  application,  externally, 
of  the  hot  sulphur  springs,  especially  to  the  com- 
bination of  douching  and  massage,  that  Aix 
chiefly  owes  its  reputation — what  is  known  as 
the  Aix  douche-massage*  The  patient  sits  on  a 
wooden  stool  (or  reclines  on  a  plank],  and  one 
or  two  doucheurs  (or  doucheuses),  most  of  whom 
are  extremely  skilful,  shampoo  and  apply  massage  to 
different  parts  of  the  body,  over  which  jets  of  hot 
water,  varying  in  temperature,  are  at  the  same  time 
propelled. 

"It  is  astonishing,"  says  the  late  Sir  Grainger 
Stewart,  who  was  himself  submitted  to  the  process, 
"  with  what  skill,  what  patience,  tenderness,  and  firm- 
ness the  shampooing  and  passive  movements  are  per- 
formed. When  every  joint  has  been  moved  to  the 
utmost  extent  possible,  the  patient  is  made  to  stand, 
while  from  a  distance  a  powerful  stream  of  water  is 
propelled  upon  the  different  limbs,  especially  about  the 

*  The  practice  of  massage  is  stated  to  have  been  introduced  at 
Aix  about  the  beginning  of  the  last  century  by  persons  returning 
from  Bonaparte's  expedition  into  Egypt. 


58  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

articulations  chiefly  affected.  When  the  bath  is  over, 
the  patient  is  rapidly  dried,  wrapped  in  flannel  sheets 
and  blankets,  and  is  carried  back  to  his  hotel  in 
the  curious  sedan-chair.  Having  reached  his  apart- 
ment he  is  lifted  into  bed,  still  swathed  like  a 
mummy,  is  covered  up  with  additional  blankets  and 
a  quilt,  and  left  to  perspire  for  a  longer  or  shorter 
period.  After  twenty  minutes  or  half  an  hour,  he 
is  carefully  rubbed  down  by  an  attendant  who  had 
accompanied  him  to  the  bath."  Other  patients  are 
allowed  to  walk  back  to  their  hotel,  where  they 
should  rest  for  an  hour. 

Sometimes  a  vapour  bath  is  applied.  The 
patient  "  enters  an  apartment  which  contains 
a  curious  wooden  box,  with  a  round  hole  in  its 
movable  lid.  After  undressing,  he  steps  into  the 
wooden  box  and  finds  that  he  is  shut  in  all  except 
the  head,  the  round  hole  being  occupied  by  his 
neck.  Immediately  a  valve  on  the  level  of  the 
floor  is  opened,  the  hot  vapour  rises  about  him, 
and  he  soon  begins  to  perspire  freely.  The  per- 
spiration running  from  his  brow,  trickles  down  his 
face.  Presently  he  feels  the  stream  flowing  down 
his  sides  and  his  legs,  and  presently  a  feeling  ol 
oppression  and  debility  comes  on,  and  after  ten 
or  twenty  minutes  the  bath  is  opened  up,  the 
patient  is  carefully  dried  and  removed  to  his  hotel." 
There  are  also  chambers,  or  etuves,  in  which,  from 
the  hot  mineral  water,  general  vapour  baths  are 
produced.  These  are  known  as  bouillons. 

Then  there  is  the  local  vapour  bath  (Berthollef). 
"  By  ingenious  contrivances  the  bath-man  is  enabled 
to  steam  one  arm  or  one  leg.  Speedily  the  limb  begins 
to  perspire  and  the  parts  become  soft  and  com- 
paratively flexible.  Perspiration  occurs  all  over  the 
body,  especially  in  those  who  have  been  undergoing 
other  forms  of  treatment,  and  so  great  care  requires 
to  be  taken  to  prevent  a  chill.  When  the  parts  have 
been  thoroughly  softened,  manipulation,  shampooing, 
and  passive  movement  of  joints  are  carefully  carried 


SECT.  B.]  A IX    LES   BAINS-.  59 

out,  just  as  after  the  douche,  but  only  confined  to 
one  limb. 

"  On  certain  days  the  patient  is  sent  to  the 
spacious  and  comfortable  swimming  baths,  and  there 
he  is  allowed  to  disport  himself  for  a  longer  or 
shorter  time,  practising,  amid  the  somewhat  warm 
water,  active  movements  of  the  limbs.  When  his 
swim  is  ended  he  may  have  a  cold  douche  or  not, 
according  to  the  direction  of  the  doctor.  He  is 
.  rapidly  dried,  and,  if  well  enough,  is  directed  to  walk 
about  smartly  in  the  gardens,  which  are  close  to  the 
establishment." 

Ordinary  cold  water  is  used  when  necessary  to 
lower  the  temperature  of  the  mineral  springs  ;  or 
Challes  water  is  added  if  a  very  strong  sulphur  bath 
is  required. 

Rooms  are  specially  devoted  to  inhaling  the 
sulphurous  vapour  of  the  water  (Jiumage),  and  also 
to  the  inhalation  of  the  atomised  thermal  water 
(spray),  which  can  be  directed  upon  any  part  of  the 
body,  and  is  especially  applied  in  affections  of  the 
nose,  throat,  face,  and  eyes,  but  this  form  of  treat- 
ment is  more  usually  carried  out  at  Marlioz.  A 
" Zander"  institute  for  Swedish  gymnastics  has 
recently  been  established  at  Aix,  and  adjacent  to  this 
is  an  establishment  for  the  application  of  "  Nauheim  " 
baths  and  the  various  forms  of  electrical  treatment 
now  in  use. 

It  is  necessary,  in  the  next  place,  to  consider  the 
action  of  these  waters  and  the  kind  of  diseases  to 
the  treatment  and  cure  of  which  they  are  applic- 
able, remembering  that  it  has  been  authoritatively 
said  that  "  massage  plays  the  principal  role  in  the 
medications  at  Aix." 

It  is  easy  to  see  that  the  object  of  such  a  method 
of  treatment  as  has  been  just  described  must  be  to 
promote  the  removal  of  waste  material  and  stimulate 
powerfully  the  action  of  the  skin,  as  an  agent  of 
elimination.  It  is  as  it  were  a  purgation  through 
the  skin  !  Whatever  excrementitious  matters  are 


60  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

retained  in  the  blood,  or  too  slowly  eliminated,  that 
can  be  got  rid  of  through  the  skin,  must  be  dis- 
charged from  the  system  by  such  active  stimulation 
of  the  cutaneous  surface. 

We  see  also  how,  by  the  attraction  of  the  blood 
to  the  surface  of  the  body  and  its  retention  there  in 
the  dilated  vessels,  congestions  of  deeper  parts  must 
be  relieved  and  a  general  stimulus  given  to  the 
circulation  of  the  nutritive  fluids  of  the  body  ;  so 
that  indirectly  a  great  stimulus  is  given  to  healthy 
nutrition  and  normal  tissue  change.  It  is  necessary, 
however,  to  bear  in  mind  that  usually  the  existence 
of  a  certain  latent  vigour  and  power  of  reaction  are 
assumed  in  the  application  of  such  stimulating 
measures. 

Indeed,  it  is  this  point  that  most  frequently 
exercises  and  tests  the  judgment  and  discrimination 
of  the  physician.  If  from  age,  or  general  ex- 
haustion, or  a  naturally  feeble  constitution,  this 
power  of  reaction  is  absent,  then  these  modes  of 
treatment  only  excite  and  exhaust,  and  a  state  of 
feverish  debility  is  produced,  and  the  patient  is  left 
worse,  instead  of  better,  for  the  treatment.  So  that 
it  is  occasionally  necessary  to  resist  the  not  un- 
natural desire  of  such  patients  for  active  treatment 
of  this  kind. 

It  is  not  uncommon  for  the  temperature  of  the 
body  to  be  raised  two  or  three  degrees  during  the 
douches,  and  the  pulse  thirty  or  forty  beats  in  the 
minute  ;  moreover,  a  slight  degree  of  feverishness  is 
often  induced  (thermal  fever)  which  needs  careful 
management,  especially  with  respect  to  diet  and 
exercise. 

The  period  of  treatment  ordinarily  lasts  about 
twenty- five  days,  with  a  few  days'  intermission  for 
rest ;  'but  it  may  be,  and  often  is,  necessary  to 
suspend  the  treatment  for  a  time,  so  that  invalids 
should  allow  themselves  five  or  six  weeks,  and,  if 
everything  goes  well,  the  last  week  may  be  advan- 
tageously spent  at  one  or  other  of  the  more  accessible 


SECT.  B.]  A IX  LES    BAINS.  61 

mountain  resorts  in  the  neighbourhood.  Exercise  in 
the  open  air  is  insisted  upon,  a  moderate,  careful 
diet,  free  from  any  excess,  is  enjoined,  as  are  also 
early  hours,  especially  in  the  damp  evenings  of  the 
spring  and  autumn,  and  aperients  are  often  required 
by  gouty  and  rheumatic  patients,  especially  when 
the  condition  of  the  urine  shows  that  much  waste 
material  is  being  discharged  from  the  body. 

Among  the  cases  best  suited  to  treatment  at  Aix, 
chronic  rheumatic  and  gouty  affections  take  the  fore- 
most place.  The  personal  observations  of  the  late  Sir 
Grainger  Stewart  on  this  head  deserve  to  be 
quoted : 

"  The  treatment  of  Aix  is  of  extraordinary  value  in  various 
rheumatic  conditions.  First,  it  is  of  great  service  in  the  way 
of  removing  the  thickness  and  stiffness  which  so  often  remain 
after  attacks  of  acute  rheumatism — a  stiffness  due  partly  to 
changes  within  the  joint,  but  mainly  to  thickening  of  the 
fibrous  tissues  round  the  articulation.  Second,  in  case  of 
chronic  rheumatism,  where  a  slow  inflammatory  action 
is  going  on  in  and  around  the  joints,  it  suffices  both 
to  remove  inflammatory  products  and  to  diminish  the 
tendency  to  rheumatic  inflammation.  Third,  in  rheumatic 
affections  of  the  muscles,  fascia,  and  nerve  sheaths,  it  affords 
in  many  cases  the  most  decided  and  speedy  relief.  Fourth, 
in  the  wasting  of  muscles,  which  so  often  occurs  in  connec- 
tion with  rheumatic  processes,  the  manipulation  and 
shampooing,  along  with  the  electrical  stimulation  which 
the  doctors  superadd,  generally  prove  distinctly  serviceable ; 
and  fifth,  on  the  occurrence  of  slight  rheumatic  threatenings, 
it  appears  that  the  use  of  the  Berthollet  or  vapour  bath 
often  suffices  to  prevent  the  further  development  of  the 
disease." 

Treatment  at  Aix  is,  however,  of  doubtful  value 
in  cases  of  osteo-arthritis,  "  Rheumatoid  arthritis  "  as 
it  is  often  termed. 

As  to  the  treatment  of  gout  at  Aix  it  is  admitted 
that,  at  the  beginning  of  the  course,  an  acute  attack 
is  sometimes  induced,  necessitating  a  suspension  of 
the  treatment  until  the  severe  pain  has  passed  away  ; 
but  it  is  maintained  that  the  ultimate  result  is  to 
diminish  the  frequency  and  intensity  of  the  attacks 


62  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

and  to  eliminate  the  gouty  poison  from  the  system. 
It  is  usual,  in  many  of  these  gouty  affections  of  the 
joints,  to  combine  with  the  thermal  treatment  the 
application  of  the  continuous  electric  current  to  the 
wasted  muscles.  Skin  diseases  of  gouty  origin, 
psoriasis  and  eczema,  are  especially  adapted  to  the 
treatment  at  Aix.  It  should  be  remembered  that  it 
is  especially  the  atonic  form  of  gout  that  is  best 
suited  to  treatment  at  Aix,  and  that  after  a  course  of 
external  treatment  by  these  hot  sulphur  waters  it  is 
often  thought  advisable  to  prescribe  an  internal 
treatment,  at  Vichy,  Evian,  Contrexeville,  or  Vittel. 

Rheumatic  forms  of  neuralgia,  and  especially 
sciatica,  whether  of  rheumatic,  gouty  or  syphilitic 
origin,  are  benefited  by  the  combination  of  bathing, 
douching,  and  shampooing  as  practised  there.  Alco- 
holic and  other  forms  of  peripheral  neuritis  are  said 
to  be  greatly  benefited  by  a  combination  of  douche- 
massage  with  electrical  treatment. 

The  presence  of  cardiac  complications  in  the  gouty 
and  rheumatic  are  not  regarded,  by  some  of  the 
physicians  at  Aix,  as  contra-indicating  the  application 
of  douche+massagS)  in  certain  cases,  as  it 'has  been 
observed,  experimentally,  that  douche-massage  causes 
a  diminution  of  arterial  tension. 

Chronic  affections  of  the  nose  and  throat  are  also 
sent  to  Aix,  or  rather  Marlioz,  for  ameliora- 
tion or  cure.  Chronic  atrophic  rhinitis  is  treated  by 
nasal  douches,  the  inhalation  of  the  natural  vapour 
of  the  hot  sulphur  springs,  and  by  local  application 
of  the  aqueous  spray  ;  swimming  baths  also  are 
enjoined,  as  well  as  the  internal  use  of  Challes 
water. 

Precisely  the  same  method  of  treatment  is  ap- 
plied, with  advantage,  to  cases  of  chronic  inflam- 
mation of  the  pharynx,  granular  pharyngitis,  etc., 
often  associated  with  a  gouty  and  rheumatic  as 
well  as  a  scrofulous  diathesis. 

Chronic  laryngeal  catarrh,  with  hoarseness 
and  loss  of  voice,  and  often  some  irritative  cough, 


SECT;  B.]  A IX   LES   BAINSi  63 

induced  by  over-fatigue  ot  the  larynx  in  public 
speaking  and  singing,  or  by  excessive  smoking,  or 
by  alcoholic  drinks,  is  benefited  by  the  inhalations 
of  the  atomised  sulphur  water  as  applied  in  the 
,sY///r,s*  d' inhalation  at  Marlioz.  The  climate  of  Aix 
and  Marlioz  is  also  believed  to  aid  the  treatment 
of  these  cases  greatly. 

Some  forms  of  chronic  bronchial  catarrh  are 
reputed  to  have  been  relieved  by  treatment  by  the 
inhalations,  etc.,  at  Marlioz,  and  the  same  is  said 
with  respect  to  hay-fever  and  certain  types  of  phthisis. 

As  an  aid  to  the  effect  of  specific  remedies  in 
the  treatment  of  constitutional  syphilis,  Aix  les 
Bains  has  always  enjoyed  a  considerable  reputation, 
though  Aix  la  Chapelle  surpasses  it  in  this  repect ; 
as  to  the  power  and  influence  of  this  treatment  in 
revealing  latent  syphilis  the  greatest  divergence 
of  opinion  exists,  and  the  latest  tendency  is  to  a 
denial  of  this  property.  Scrofulous  affections  of 
the  bones,  joints,  and  glandular  system,  scrofulous 
ophthalmia,  and  even  lupus  are  reported  to  be 
greatly  benefited  and  even  cured  by  the  course  at  Aix. 

Cases  of  chronic  skin  disease  which  travel  all 
over  Europe,  from  bath  to  bath,  seeking  relief, 
and,  it  must  be  added,  often  finding  none  or  but 
very  little,  naturally  visit  Aix  les  Bains  in  consider- 
able numbers.  One  of  the  most  troublesome  and 
inveterate  of  these  diseases  is  psoriasis,  which  often 
affects  gouty  persons ;  this  disease  is  rarely  com- 
pletely cured,  but  they  claim  at  Aix  that  under 
the  influence  of  treatment  there,  the  patches  be- 
come paler,  the  scales  are  shed,  and  the  absorption 
and  action  of  internal  remedies  are  promoted. 

In  cases  of  eczema  the  first  effect  of  the  treatment 
is  often  to  exaggerate  somewhat  the  symptoms,  but 
if  the  course  is  prolonged  sufficiently  the  manifesta- 
tions disappear. 

In  the  relief  of  acne  the  swimming-baths,  to- 
gether with  the  local  application  of  the  sulphur 
water,  prove  very  efficacious. 


64  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

In  hysteria,  and  in  certain  chronic  uterine  affec- 
tions, in  anaemia,  and  chlorosis,  treatment  at  Aix 
proves  beneficial.  In  some  of  these  cases  removal 
from  home  influences,  which  are  not  unfrequently 
injurious,  change  of  air,  scene,  and  food,  the  regular 
occupation  of  bathing  and  shampooing,  and  the 
enforced  exercise  in  the  open  air,  combined  with 
judicious  medical  supervision,  have  probably  more 
remedial  influence  than  the  sulphur  in  the  water. 

In  certain  cases  of  paralysis,  the  combined 
stimulating  influence  of  bathing,  shampooing,  and  the 
application  of  the  electric  current  produces  a  bene- 
ficial effect. 

Certain  cases  of  traumatic  disease  of  the  bones  and 
joints  are  usefully  submitted  to  the  treatment  at  Aix. 

Marlioz  is  but  a  quarter  of  an  hour's  walk  from  Aix,  and 
may  practically  be  regarded  as  belonging  to  it.  Its  springs, 
three  in  number,  are  cold  sulphur  springs,  and  they  are  used 
chiefly  in  the  form  of  inhalation  and  pulverisation — i.e.  in 
vapour  and  spray.  At  Marlioz  there  are  special  arrangements 
in  the  shape  of  well-arranged  sallcs  a"  inhalation  for  the  applica- 
tion of  the  vapour  and  spray  of  these  sulphur  springs  to  the 
treatment  of  chronic  affections  of  the  respiratory  passages, 
such  as  chronic  coryza,  chronic  laryngitis  and  pharyngitis,  and 
chronic  bronchial  catarrh.  Patients  following  this  treatment 
can  either  reside  at  Aix,  or,  if  they  prefer  a  quieter  life,  they 
can  find  comfortable  apartments  in  the  chateau  and  wile 
attached  to*  the  Etablissement  at  Marlioz,  which  is  situated  in 
pleasant  and  extensive  park-like  grounds. 

In  the  bath  establishment  at  Marlioz  the  usual  baths  and 
douches  are  provided,  and  every  appliance  for  hydrothera- 
peutic  treatment,  either  with  the  sulphur  springs  or  with 
ordinary  water.  The  Marlioz  water  appears  to  contain 
sulphur  in  combination  with  sodium  as  sulphide  of  sodium, 
just  like  the  Pyrenean  springs,  according  to  some  authorities, 
while  others  have  found  sulphuretted  hydrogen  in  it.  Besides 
carbonate  and  chloride  of  sodium  it  is  said  to  contain 
iodide  and  bromide  of  sodium. 

Mountain- air  stations  suitable  for  an  after-cure  are  now 
brought,  as  it  were,  to  the  doors  of  the  patients  at  Aix.  By 
means  of  a  mountain  railway  the  high  plateau  on  the  summit 
of  Mont  Revard  is  reached  in  an  hour,  and  an  excellent  hotel 
is  found  there  at  an  elevation  of  4,900  feet.  For  those  who  do 
not  need  so  bracing  a  resort,  there  is  Pugny-Corbieres,  about 


si  CT,   H. |  ALLEVARD.  65 

half  rin  hour  from  Aix,  at  an  elevation  of  2,000  feet,  on  the 
border  of  shady  woods,  and  another  climatic  station  has  been 
rst.iMislicd  on  the  Col  dii  Chat.  The  well-known  resorts  at  the 
i-n  end  of  the  Lake  of  Geneva,  Glion,  Caux,  Les  Avants, 
etc.,  are  also  easy  of  access. 

The  season  is  from  April  isth  to  the  end  of  October  ;  the 
months  of  July  and  August  are  often  very  hot. 

Allevard  is  an  important  French  cold  sulphur 
spring  containing  much  free  sulphuretted  hydrogen, 
and  employed  chiefly  in  the  treatment  of  diseases  of 
the  throat  and  respiratory  organs. 

The  baths  at  Allevard  in  the  department  of  I  sere 
lie  about  midway  between  Chambery  and  (Irenoble, 
being  twenty-three  miles  from  the  former  and 
twenty-five  from  the  latter  town.  A  branch  line 
connects  it  with  Pontcharra-sur-Bre'da,  a  station  on 
the  line  of  rail  between  these  towns.  It  is  reached 
in  eleven  hours  from  Paris. 

The  village  of  Allevard  is  built  on  both  banks  of 
the  river  Breda,  at  an  elevation  of  1,350  feet  above 
the  sea.  It  is  in  the  midst  of  beautiful  scenery,  and 
h  is  many  admirable  excursions  and  points  ot  view 
in  its  neighbourhood.  It  has  a  southern  aspect  and 
a  mild  and  rather  moist  climate.  It  is  not  shut  in, 
as  many  such  places  are,  between  high  mountains ; 
but  the  valley  is  open,  and  the  mountains  on  cadi 
side  rise  by  gentle  wooded  slopes,  behind  which 
stand  steep  and  bare  peaks  of  great  height. 

The  hotels  and  pensions,  most  of  them  situated 
in  a  shady  park,  are  good  and  comfortable  ;  and  the 
simple  and  quiet  life  there,  and  the  calm  and  peace- 
ful surroundings,  must  be  especially  grateful  and 
suitable  to  the  more  serious  class  of  invalids  for 
whom  the  cure  at  Allevard  is  prescribed.  The 
special  application  of  the  mineral  springs  of  Allevard 
is  in  the  treatment  of  diseases  of  the  throat  and 
respiratory  organs,  especially  when  associated  with 
the  rheumatic  or  gouty  constitution  :  Chronic  throat 
and  nose  catarrhs,  chronic  bronchitis,  asthma,  and 
even  certain  forms  of  consumption  are  treated 


66  MINERAL    SPRINGS,  [PART  i. 

there  (apyretic  forms  with  general  health  good)  with 
favourable  results. 

One  of  the  special  modes  of  treatment  in  vogue 
at  Allevard  is  the  inhalation  of  the  gases  given  off  by 
the  water  of  the  springs,  cold  and  unheated.  This 
takes  place  in.  the  salles  $  inhalation  froide. 

In  these  rooms,  which  are  large  enough  to  contain 
fifty  patients  at  a  time,  the  water,  under  pressure, 
is  by  means  of  suitable  mechanism  driven  into 
spray  so  fine  and  so  diffused  that  the  gases 
in  it  become  set  free  into  the  surrounding 
air  :  ninety-five  per  cent,  of  the  sulphuretted 
hydrogen  contained  in  the  water  (there  are  24  c.c. 
of  this  gas  per  litre),  together  with  much  of  the 
nitrogen  and  carbonic  acid  it  also  contains,  is  diffused 
into  the  atmospheres  of  these  salles  d' inhalation 
froide.  The  respiration  of  this  medicated  air  has 
been  found  of  special  service  in  the  treatment  of 
tuberculous  and  other  affections  of  the  throat  and 
lungs.  The  patients  are  allowed  to  remain  from 
three  to  fifteen  minutes  in  this  air ;  and  they  return 
to  these  rooms  five  or  six  times  in  the  day,  and 
in  the  intervals  the  jets  of  water  are  turned  off, 
and  the  rooms  thoroughly  ventilated  by  opening  all 
the  windows  and  doors. 

There  are  also  at  Allevard,  as  at  Royat  and  else- 
where, rooms  devoted  to  inhalation  of  the  warm 
vapours  of  the  water.  In  these  the  patients  remain, 
suitably  clothed,  for  half  an  hour  or  more  ;  and  this 
method  is  found  particularly  serviceable  in  the  treat- 
ment of  chronic  bronchial  catarrh  and  catarrh al 
asthma.  There  are  also  two  large  chambers  for  the 
inhalation  of  warm  pulverised  water. 

Douches  for  the  throat,  the  nose,  the  eyes,  the 
face,  etc. ;  a  room  for  gargling  ;  hot  foot  and  leg 
baths — used  here  very  hot,  and  prescribed  for  their 
revulsive  effect  to  most  of  the  patients ;  and  all  the 
appliances  necessary  for  general  bathing,  douching, 
and  massage  are  to  be  found  in  this  very  complete 
bath  establishment.  Internallv  the  water  is  drunk 


SECT.  B.]  ALLEY  A  RD.  67 

in  small  doses  at  first — a  quarter  to  half  a  glass  daily, 
gradually  increasing  to  two  or  three  glasses,  either 
cold  or  mixed  with  a  little  warm  syrup  or  milk. 

The  Allevard  water  is,  as  we  have  said,  a  cold 
sulphur  spring,  its  temperature  being  about  60°  F. 
It  contains  a  considerable  amount  of  free  sulphuretted 
hydrogen,  as  well  as  nitrogen  and  carbonic  acid  gases  ; 
its  chief  solid  constituents  are  sodium  chloride,  calcium 
carbonate,  calcium  and  magnesium  sulphate,  silica, 
and  traces  of  arsenic.  But  it  is  by  no  means  strongly 
mineralised. 

This  water  is  said  to  be  easily  digested,  to  increase 
appetite,  and  to  promote  nutritive  changes.  It  is 
maintained  that  the  sulphuretted  hydrogen  when 
coming  in  contact  with  the  bronchial  mucous  mem- 
brane abstracts  oxygen  and  deposits  its  sulphur,  having 
at  first  a  stimulating  and  afterwards  a  sedative  effect, 
the  latter  being  also  contributed  to  by  the  carbonic 
acid  and  nitrogen  contained  in  the  water. 

A  long  list  of  maladies  are  treated  at  Allevard 
• — in  addition  to  those  already  named  :  chronic 
pharyngitis  and  tonsillitis,  adenoids,  laryngitis,  hay- 
asthma,  enlarged  bronchial  glands  following  whoop- 
ing cough  or  measles ;  amongst  skin  affections, 
eczema  and  impetigo. 

The  season  is  from  June  ist  to  Sept.  3oth — the 
best  time  being  from  June  I5th  to  Aug.  2oth.  There 
is  a  casino  with  theatre  and  the  amusements  usually 
found  at  a  French  spa. 

Amelie  les  Bains. — A  thermal  sulphur  bath  in 
the  Pyrenees  Orientates,  at  an  elevation  of  about  900 
feet,  in  a  valley  enclosed  by  high  mountains, 
which  in  winter  limit  considerably  the  number 
of  hours  of  sunshine.  It  has  this  point  of  interest 
for  those  who  are  seeking  treatment  by  hot 
sulphur  baths  in  the  winter,  that  it  is  one  of 
the  few  sulphur  baths  available  at  that  season, 
for  Amelie  is  open  all  the  year  round.  Its  name 
is  derived  from  that  of  the  wife  of  Louis 


68  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

Philippe.  It  lies  at  the  extreme  south-eastern 
corner  of  France,  close  to  the  Spanish  frontier : 
it  is  thirty-eight  kilometres  from  Perpignan  on  the 
railway  from  Elne  to  Arles-sur-Tech — a  twenty- 
two  hours'  journey  from  Paris. 

It  has  a  mild  winter  climate,  due  to  its  pro- 
tection from  winds  and  its  southern  latitude,  the 
average  winter  temperature  being  46°  F.  Spring 
is  the  most  disagreeable  season  there,  owing  to 
the  prevalence  of  east  wind.  In  the  summer  it 
is  very  hot ;  so  that  it  is  mostly  a  winter 
resort. 

Its  springs  are  numerous — twenty-two  altogether 
— and  they  vary  in  temperature  from  96°  to  140°  F. 
The  characteristic  ingredient  is  sod  him  sulphide, 
and  this  varies  in  amount  from  0*025  to  0*039 
grammes  per  litre.  They  are  also  rich  in  glairine 
and  organic  matter.  The  water  is  at  first  clear, 
but  soon  turns  milky  on  exposure  to  the  air. 
There  are  three  establishments  in  which  the 
springs  are  utilised.  One  is  the  great  military 
hospital,  which  has  accommodation  for  66  officers 
and  379  non-commissioned  officers  and  soldiers ; 
the  second  is  the  Thermes  Remains  (built  on  the 
foundations  of  old  Roman  baths),  and  the  third 
the  Bains  Pujade.  These  contain  appliances  for 
large  and  small  baths,  hot  and  cold  douches,  foot 
baths,  vapour  baths,  massage,  inhalations,  and 
pulverisations.  The  apartments  for  inhalation  com- 
municate directly  with  the  springs.  Buvettes  for 
supplying  the  water  for  drinking  are  numerous,  the 
most  frequented  being  the  Source  Pectorale. 

The  effect  of  the  treatment  is  to  produce  a  little 
excitement  at  first,  but  never  so  great  as  at  the 
stronger  sulphur  springs ;  this  is  soon  followed  by 
a  markedly  sedative  effect.  The  influences  of  the 
climate  and  water  have  been  thus  summarised — 
sedative  to  the  circulatory  system,  stimulating  to 
the  nervous  system,  restorative  of  the  nutritive 
functions.  The  alkaline,  ferruginous  waters  of  the 


SECT.  B.]  AMELIE    LES    BAINS.  69 

neighbouring  spa,  Le  Boulou,  are  often  prescribed 
to  be  drunk  at  Amelie,  together  with  the  sulphur 
water. 

Attacks  of  colic  and  diarrhoea  are  said  not 
unfrequently  to  occur  to  visitors  at  Amelie  even  when 
not  drinking  the  waters. 

The  principal  diseases  sent  to  this  spa  for 
treatment  are,  first,  diseases  of  the  respiratory 
organs,  and  especially  torpid  forms  of  phthisis ; 
these  latter  deriving  benefit  both  from  the  mild 
climate  and  the  sulphur  springs.  Chronic  laryngitis, 
bronchitis,  asthma,  and  emphysema  are  also  bene- 
fited. Like  other  thermal  sulphur  springs,  these 
are  applicable  to  cases  of  chronic  rheumatism,  to 
torpid  skin  affections,  and  to  scrofulo-tuberculous 
disease  of  the  bones  and  mucous  membranes.  A 
great  many  traumatic  cases,  especially  amongst  the 
military,  are  treated  there — the  consequences  of 
gunshot  and  other  wounds. 

Patients  are  able  to  pass  by  covered  ways  from 
their  hotel  to  the  baths. 

Apenta.— This,  one  of  the  most  recently  intro- 
duced of  the  Hungarian  aperient  waters,  may  be 
taken  as  the  type  of  the  so-called  bitter  waters 
which  have,  of  late  years,  come  into  such  general 
use  as  convenient  and  trustworthy  laxatives. 

Apenta,  "like  the  whole  group  of  those  Hun- 
garian aperient  waters,  is  formed  at  no  great  depth 
—not  more  than  15  or  20  feet — its  chemical  com- 
position being  due  largely  to  the  solution  in  the 
water  of  the  chemical  salts  of  the  stratum  of  the 
ground  through  which  it  spreads." 

It  is  claimed  for  this  water  that,  owing  to  the 
careful  and  scientific  method  in  which  its  collection 
and  bottling  is  supervised  and  carried  out,  its 
constancy  of  composition  is  maintained  and  can 
always  be  relied  upon. 

The  chief  active  constituents  of  this  water  are 
the  aperient  sulphates  of  magnesium  and  sodium, 


70  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

and  Professor  Pouchet's  analysis  of  Apenta  water 
shows  it  to  contain,  per  litre,  magnesium  sulphate 
23*43  grammes,  sodium  sulphate  15*53,  calcium  and 
potassium  sulphates  2*676,  sodium  carbonate  ron, 
and  sodium  chloride  1716.  It  also  contains  a  small 
amount  of  oxide  of  iron,  0*046,  and  minute  amounts 
of  lithium  and  other  less  important  constituents. 

In  the  more  generalised  use  of  this  water,  as  in 
the  systematic  treatment  of  hepatic  and  gouty 
troubles  and  for  the  cure  of  obesity,  for  which  it  has 
been  extensively  employed,  the  presence  of  sodium  car- 
bonate and  chloride  are  not  unimportant  ingredients  ; 
wrhile  the  presence  of  an  appreciable  amount  of 
iron  doubtless  tends  to  counteract  any  lowering 
effect  it  might  otherwise  produce.  The  usual  dose  is 
from  four  to  six  fluid  ounces  taken  in  the  morning 
fasting.  It  is  often  given  warmed  and  mixed  with 
an  equal  quantity  of  Apollinaris  water,  as  a  useful 
substitute  for  Carlsbad  wrater  in  the  treatment  of 
gall-stones. 

Apollinaris. — This,  the  most  popular  of  alkaline 
table  waters,  may  be  taken  as  the  type  of  that  class 
of  mineral  spring.  The  dietetic  value  of  such  a 
wrater  depends  on  its  containing  a  definite  and 
moderate  (not  a  large)  amount  of  sodium  bicarbonate 
and  sodium  chloride  and  a  considerable  amount  of 
free  carbonic  acid  gas.  According  to  the  time  at 
which  it  is  taken,  the  first-named  constituent  is 
valuable  for  its  antacid  action  in  diluting  and  neutral- 
ising acid  wines,  for  its  solvent  action  on  catarrhal 
mucus,  for  its  stimulating  action  on  the  gastric 
secretion,  and  for  its  neutralising  effect  at  other  times 
on  gastric  hyper-acidity.  The  sodium  chloride  has 
a  dietetic  value  as  a  promoter  of  gastric  activity 
and  of  general  metabolism,  and  the  carbonic  acid  for 
its  refreshing  and  agreeable  as  well  as  stimulating 
properties. 

A  water  containing  much  alkali  is  counter- 
indicated  as  a  "  table  water,"  as  it  might  injuriously 


SECT.  B.]  APOLLINARIS.  71 

neutralise  the  needful  acidity  of  the  gastric  juice  when 
taken  with  meals,  and  a  merely  gaseous  water  with 
no  alkali  would  obviously  fail  in  one  of  its  chief 
properties. 

The  Apollinaris  springs  rise  in  the  Ahrthal  in 
Rhenish  Prussia,  in  close  proximity  to  the  celebrated 
springs  of  Neuenahr.  These  latter  contain  precisely 
the  same  constituents  as  the  Apollinaris  springs,  only 
varying  somewhat  in  the  proportions  of  the  con- 
stituents and  in  temperature.  The  chief  of  the 
springs  at  Neuenahr  (the  Grosser  Sprudel)  is  a 
warm  spring  and  has  a  temperature  of  about  96°  F. 
It  is  interesting  to  compare  the  composition  of 
this  spring  with  that  of  Apollinaris.  In  the  latest 
analysis  of  the  latter  (made  by  Th.  Kyll,  1 902),  in  a 
litre  there  is  of  sodium  carbonate  1*248  grammes 
(Neuenahr  0*600),  of  magnesium  carbonate  0*465 
(Neuenahr  0*300),  sodium  chloride  0*421  (Neuenahr 
0*100),  sodium  sulphate  0*247  (Neuenahr  0*083), 
calcium  carbonate  0*250  (Neuenahr  0*200),  iron 
protoxide  0*003  (Neuenahr  carbonate  of  iron  0*012). 

We  see  here  a  great  similarity  of  composition. 
The  Apollinaris  water  is  richer  in  sodium  and  mag- 
nesium carbonates  and  in  sodium  chloride.  The 
Neuenahr  water  contains  a  little  more  iron.  It  will 
be  seen  that  the  addition  of  a  little  hot  water  to 
Apollinaris  makes  it  practically  identical  with  the 
Neuenahr  water. 

This  water  is  exported  in  bottles  on  a  very  large 
scale  ;  about  thirty  million  bottles,  we  are  informed, 
are  filled  annually !  For  the  purpose  of  enabling 
the  water  of  the  Apollinaris  spring  to  be  efficiently 
bottled  to  meet  this  enormous  demand,  without 
waste  of  time,  and  to  prevent  disturbance  of  the 
spring  at  its  source,  by  an  uneven  method  of  pump- 
ing, the  water  is  allowed  to  flow  from  the  spring  into 
tanks,  from  which  it  is  drawn  into  cylinders ;  there 
it  is  re-combined  with  the  carbonic  acid,  which 
has,  meanwhile,  been  collected  from  the  spring.  A 
small  proportion  of  common  salt  (one  part  per 


;2    .  MINERAL    SPRINGS,  [PART  i. 

thousand  parts)  is  added  to  prevent  the  reducing 
action  of  the  organic  matter  of  the  cork  on  the 
sodium  sulphate  in  the  water. 

Before  this  plan  was  adopted  there  was  a  risk  of 
sulphuretted  hydrogen  forming  in  the  bottled  water. 
The  bottled  Apollinaris  therefore  contains  one  per 
mille  more  sodium  chloride  than  at  its  source.  The 
most  minute  care  is  taken,  in  all  the  details  of  bottling, 
to  preserve  the  natural  properties  of  the  water. 

Ashby-de-la-Zouch,  a  cold  salt  bath  in  Leicester- 
shire, about  three  hours  from  London,  is  a  town  of 
about  5,000  inhabitants,  at  an  elevation  of  400  feet 
above  the  sea.  Its  chloride  of  sodium  waters  are 
moderately  strong,  and  of  a  temperature  of  62°  F. 
It  is  said  to  be  of  about  the  same  strength  as 
sea  water.  It  contains  about  26*5  grammes  of 
solids  per  litre,  the  chief  of  which  is  sodium 
chloride  (187).  Next  in  amount  are  calcium 
sulphate  (2-5),  and  chloride  of  calcium  and  mag- 
nesium ;  there  are  small  amounts  of  potassium 
chloride,  carbonate  of  iron  (0*05),  lime,  and 
manganese,  bromide  of  magnesium,  sulphate  of 
alumina  and  silica.  It  also  contains  a  small 
amount  of  dissolved  carbonic  acid  and  nitrogen 
(Paul,  1888).  There  is  a  small  but  well-equipped 
bath  establishment  standing  in  its  own  grounds, 
which  are  well  laid  out,  and  in  which  archery, 
tennis,  and  bowling  can  be  carried  on.  There  are 
six  bath-rooms  in  each  wing  of  the  building,  with 
drying-rooms  and  provision  also  for  shower  and 
needle  baths  and  douches.  It  is  heated  throughout 
by  steam,  and  so  is  the  water  for  the  baths,  which 
are  given  at  temperatures  varying  from  62°  (the 
natural  temperature  of  the  water)  up  to  110°  F. 

Dr.  Williams,  consulting  physician  to  the  Bath 
Company,  and  medical  officer  of  health,  states 
that  benefit  follows  treatment  with  these  baths  in 
the  following  maladies  :  gout,  muscular  rheumatism, 
sciatica,  and  chronic  rheumatic  joint  affections  ;  osteo- 


SECT.  B.]  ASKERN   SPA.  73 

arthritis ;  scrofula ;  certain  chronic  skin  diseases, 
as  eczema,  psoriasis,  acne,  etc.  These  are  treated 
by  internal  as  well  as  external  administration  of 
the  water.  In  cases  of  debility  and  neuralgia,  the 
internal  use  of  the  water  seems  to  be  serviceable 
as  an  iron  tonic. 

Askern  Spa.— A  cold  sulphur  bath  in  the  West 
.Riding  of  Yorkshire  at  an  altitude  of  25  feet,  and 
about  six  miles  to  the  north  of  Doncaster ;  four 
hours  by  rail  from  London.  There  are  four  wells, 
each  containing  sulphuretted  hydrogen  in  varying 
amounts.  The  richest  has  about  3*5  cubic  inches 
to  a  litre  of  water.  They  are  feebly  mineralised, 
for  they  contain  only  two  grammes  of  solids  per  litre, 
consisting  chiefly  of  calcium  carbonate  and  calcium 
and  magnesium  sulphates  ;  small  amounts  of  sodium 
chloride  and  sulphate  are  also  present.  They  are 
highly  charged  with  organic  matter  derived  from 
the  peat,  and  have  a  yellowish  aspect.  "  The  village 
stands  on  the  edge  of  an  extensive  plain,  a  large 
part  of  which  is  uncultivated  and  imperfectly  drained 
peat  bog." 

Mr.  Bothamly,  F.C.S.  (Trans.  Chemical  Society, 
1893,  P-  ^85),  attributes  the  presence  of  H,S  to 
reduction  of  sulphates  brought  about  in  some 
hitherto  undetermined  way.  Each  of  the  four 
springs  has  a  pump-room  and  set  of  baths  attached 
to  it,  and  in  most  the  water  is  raised  by  means 
of  steam  to  the  temperature  desired.  Besides  the 
baths  the  patients  are  directed  to  drink  the  waters 
cold  in  doses  of  eight  ounces  twice  or  thrice  daily. 
They  usually  have  a  diuretic  action,  and  are  some- 
times Jaxative. 

The  diseases  treated  at  Askern  with  benefit  are 
subacute  and  chronic  gouty  states  ;  rheumatic  and 
rheumatoid  affections,  especially  when  attended 
with  pain  and  stiffness  of  joints  ;  certain  chronic 
skin  diseases,  e.g.  eczema,  psoriasis,  pityriasis ;  some 
forms  of  dyspepsia,  and  liver  troubles. 


74  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

Ax  les  Thermes  (Ariege),  a  rising  and  important 
Pyrenean  Spa,  containing  a  vast  number  si  sulphur  and 
other  thermal  springs,  admitting  of  a  great  variety  of 
applications.  It  lies  between  the  Central  Pyrenees 
and  the  Pyrenees  Orientales  on  a  branch  line,  122 
kilometres  south  of  Toulouse  and  fourteen  hours  by 
express  train  from  Paris.  It  is  situated  in  a  moun- 
tainous and  picturesque  country  at  an  elevation  of 
about  2,300  feet,  and  at  the  confluence  of  three 
mountain  streams.  Its  climate  is  tonic  and  strength- 
ening. As  many  as  sixty  springs  are  utilised  in 
four  bath  establishments  possessing  every  modern 
appliance.  Their  temperature  varies  from  65°  to 
170°  F.  They  are  used  undiluted,  and  arranged  in 
a  graduated  series,  according  to  their  activity.  Some 
of  these  springs  are,  next  to  Luchon,  the  richest 
in  sulphuretted  hydrogen  of  the  Pyrenean  spas. 
Sodium  sulphide  is  the  characteristic  ingredient  of  the 
majority,  together  with  sodium  silicate  and  a  little 
sodium  chloride.  Some  contain  much  nitrogen, 
no  organic  matter,  and  are  of  feeble  alkalinity ;  others 
are  alkaline  and  rich  in  baregine. 

It  is  usual,  for  certain  cases,  to  add  to  the  baths 
some  chlorides  in  the  form  of  eaux  meres  or  salts 
from  eaux  meres.  What  is  known  as  the  "  de- 
generated waters "  are  those  in  which  the  sodium 
sulphide  has  undergone  conversion  into  sulphate  and 
hyposulphite,  and  so  become  changed  from  sulphur 
waters  into  simple,  slightly  alkaline  thermal  waters. 
These  are  regarded  as  having  a  sedative  effect,  while 
the  sodium  sulphide  springs  are  stimulating. 

The  reputation  of  the  waters  of  Ax  is  ancient, 
and  it  possesses  a  "  lepers'  bath,"  said  to  have  existed 
since  the  reign  of  St.  Louis  (A.D.  1260). 

The  waters  are  both  drunk  and  used  as  baths  and 
douches.  Gouty  arthritis  is  especially  treated  by  the 
sedative  desulphurated  water.  The  treatment  at  Ax 
can  be  so  graduated  as  to  extend  from  the  mildest  to 
the  most  energetic  form,  as  desired  by  the  medical 
attendant, 


SECT.    B.] 


AX    LES    THERM ES. 


75 


Painful  joint  affections  and  neuralgias,  rheumatic 
and  gouty,  are  specially  treated  at  Ax.  In  the  next 
order  come  scrofulous  and  superficial  tubercular 
affections,  some  chronic  skin  diseases — certain 
ansemics,  intolerant  of  iron,  do  well  there.  Chronic 
malarial  cachexia,  traumatisms,  lead  and  other 
poisonings,  chronic  syphilis,  uterine  catarrh,  chronic 
catarrhal  affections  of  the  respiratory  organs,  some 
neuropathic  and  neurasthenic  cases,  complete  the 
list  of  patients  claimed  by  Ax. 

June,  July,  August,  and  September  are  the  best 
months  for  treatment,  but  one  of  the  establishments 
is  open  all  the  year.  There  is  a  civil  hospital  there 
with  120  beds.  Many  interesting  excursions  can  be 
made  into  the  mountainous  district  around. 


Abano,  in  N.  Italy,  a  few  miles 
from  Padua,  on  the  line  between 
it  and  Bologna.  A  highly  thermal 
(temperature  of  hottest  spring, 
183°  F.) ,  somewhat  feebly  mineral- 
ised (6-5  grammes  of  solids  per 
litre)  salt  bath  with  traces  of  free 
sulphuretted  hydrogen ;  also  uti- 
lises for  local  applications  a  fango 
or  "mud,"  rich  in  organic  sub- 
stance, and  saturated  with  the  hot 
mineral  water.  Spring  well 
known  to  the  Romans  (Aquae 
Patavinae). 

The  mineral  ingredients  consist 
of  sodium  (3-8)  and  magnesium 
(0-20)  chloride,  some  calcium  sul- 
phate, a  minute  quantity  of  iodide 
of  magnesium  (0-02),  and  traces  of 
H2S. 

The  remedial  agents  employed 
are  baths,  inhalations  of  gases 
from  springs,  and  local  applica- 
tions of  fango.  The  diseases 
treated  are  chronic  rheumatism 
and  gouty  affections,  rheumatoid 
arthritis  and  surgical  diseases  of 
joints,  skin  affections,  and  certain 
forms  of  chronic  paralysis.  The 
season  is  from  June  i  to  Sept.  30. 


Acquarossa  possesses  gaseous 
chalybeate  springs,  containing  a 
large  amount  of  calcium  sulphate 
and  carbonate,  a  small  quantity  of 
manganese,  and  minute  amounts 
of  arsenic  and  lithium.  The  tem- 
perature of. this  water  is  77°  F. 
A  mineral  mud  is  also  deposited 
from  this  spring,  which  is  said  to 
be  very  rich  in  arsenic. 

It  is  situated  in  Switzerland,  on 
the  Italian  side  of  the  St.  Gothard 
mountains,  and  is  approached 
from  Biasca,  a  station  on  the  St. 
Gothard  line,  from  which  it  is  an 
hour  and  a-half's  drive.  It  can 
also  be  reached  from  Dissentis  by 
the  Lukmanier  Pass.  It  is  situated 
in  the  Val  Blenio,  at  an  elevation 
of  1,150  feet,  and  is  surrounded 
by  high  mountains. 

The  amount  of  bicarbonate  of 
iron  per  litre  is  ©'034  gramme  ;  of 
manganese  0-019  ;  and  of  arsenate 
of  lime  0-00024 ;  of  chloride  of 
lithium  0-0046 ;  of  borate  of 
magnesia  0-0025.  It  *s  considered 
of  value  in  anaemia,  in  scrofula, 
and  in  skin  diseases.  Together 
with  climatic  influences  it  is  found 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


restorative  after  acute  illnesses ; 
it  is  recommended  also  in  glandu- 
lar enlargements,  scrofulous  and 
syphilitic.  In  some  obstinate 
skin  affections  the  warmed  mud 
is  applied  with  benefit. 

Acqui,  in  N.  Italy,  on  the  line 
between  Alessandria  and  Savona, 
and  21  miles  from  the  former 
place,  has  many  feebly  mineralised 
(1*5  gramme  of  sodium  chloride 
per  litre)  but  very  hot  salt  springs, 
containing  also  free  H2S — La 
Bollende  has  a  temperature  of 
158°  F.— also  a  fango  or  mud, 
which  contains  much  organic 
matter,  is  largely  used,  mixed 
with  the  salts  of  the  mineral 
springs.  Its  application  and  vir- 
tues form  the  speciality  of  Acqui. 

It  has  an  altitude  of  650  feet, 
and  a  climate  which  is  moist 
and  variable  and  very  hot  in 
summer. 

The  cases  treated  there  are 
rheumatic,  gouty,  and  traumatic 
joint  affections,  certain  diseases 
of  the  skin,  and  certain  neuroses, 
cases  of  chronic  metallic  poison- 
ing (lead  and  mercury),  and  some 
forms  of  syphilis. 

The  season  is  from  May  15  to 
Sept.  30. 

^Esculap,  an  imported  Hunga- 
rian "bitter"  water,  containing  the 
aperient  sodium  and  magnesium 
sulphates  (31  -i),  and  sodium 
chloride  (2-9)  and  calcium  sul- 
phate (2-0  per  mille). 

Aibling,  in  Upper  Bavaria,  plea- 
santly situated  at  an  elevation  of 
i  ,500  feet,  a  few  miles  from  Rosen- 
heim,  has  a  speciality  for  the 
application  of  wW-baths — from  the 
Aibling  high  moors — and  the  brine 
and  Mutter-lauge  respectively  from 
Rosenheim  and  Reichenhall.  The 
mutter -lauge  is  added  to  water,  mud, 
and  pine-needle  baths. 

Maladies  treated  there  are 
chronic  rheumatic  and  scrofulous 
exudations,  rickets,  chronic  pelvic 
inflammations  and  deposits,  and 


some  forms  of  paralysis.  Season, 
May  i  to  Sept.  30. 

Aigle  les  Bains,  a  hydropathic 
establishment  (1,750  feet  above 
the  sea)  about  a  mile  from  Aigle 
Station,  on  the  Rhone  Valley 
Railway.  The  water  (similar  to 
Evian  water)  is  artificially  charged 
with  carbonic  acid  and  drunk  as 
a  table  water  in  stomach,  renal, 
and  bladder  affections. 

Aix  en  Provence,  30  kilometres 
north  of  Marseilles  (line  to  Greno- 
ble), elevation  590  feet,  has  simple 
thermal  springs,  the  hottest  90°  F. 
The  baths  are  given  with  running 
water  (eau  courante),  so  that  this 
temperature  is  maintained  in 
them.  The  mineralisation  is  very 
feeble. 

They  are  regarded  as  sedative 
baths,  and  are  applied  in  cases  of 
neurasthenia,  rheumatism,  neu- 
ralgia, stiff  joints,  and  some  skin 
and  uterine  affections. 

Alet,  a  small  French  resort  in 
the  Department  of  Aude,  650  feet 
above  the  sea.  It  has  simple 
thermal  waters  of  very  feeble 
mineralisation,  chiefly  of  bicar- 
bonate and  phosphate  of  lime 
(0-520  in  the  litre).  Temperature 
86°  F.  It  also  has  a  cold  iron 
spring  (0^024  of  oxide  of  iron). 
These  waters  do  not  contain  free 
carbonic  acid  gas,  and  are  there- 
fore thought  valuable  to  those 
whose  stomachs  cannot  tolerate 
aerated  waters.  They  are  exported 
as  table  waters.  There  is  a  bath 
establishment  for  baths  and 
douches. 

Anaemic  and  chlorotic  cases  are 
treated  with  this  iron  spring. 
Other  cases  benefited  by  these 
waters  are  those  of  gastric  irrita- 
bility and  painful  digestion,  flatu- 
lence, habitual  vomiting,  intestinal 
catarrh,  dysentery,  and  the  dys- 
pepsia of  convalescents  from  acute 
disease.  They  are  given  in  mode- 
rate doses  before  meals,  and  some- 
times mixed  with  wine. 


SECT.  B.]      ALEXANDERSBAD—ANDABRE. 


77 


It   has  a  station,  Limoux,  dis-   I 
tant  9  kilometres,  on  the  line  be-    \ 
tween  Carcassonne   and  Quillan.    | 
It  is  a  twenty-four  hours'  journey    | 
from  Paris.    At  that  distance  from    i 
Paris  and  in  a  region  so  far  south,    | 
and  therefore  so  hot  in  the  sum- 
mer,   it    is    naturally    not    much 
resorted  to  except  by  those  in  the    ! 
locality. 

The  season  is  from  June  i  to 
Nov.  i,  but  the  bath  is  open  all 
the  year. 

Alexandersbad,  a  chalybeate, 
highly  gaseous  spring  (0-06  bicar- 
bonate of  iron)  in  Bavaria,  lies  on 
the  north-eastern  slope  of  the 
Luisenberg  (Fichtelgebirge)  at  an 
elevation  of  1,900  feet,  surrounded 
by  pine  woods.  The  nearest 
stations  are  Markt-Redwitz  on  the 
Berlin-Munich  Rail  way,  and  Wun- 
siedel.  Besides  drinking  and 
bathing  in  the  gaseous  iron  water, 
ferruginous  mud  baths  are  used, 
also  pine-needle  baths,  and  the 
usual  methods  of  hydrotherapy. 
It  is  resorted  to  by  cases  of  anaemia 
and  chlorosis.  There  is  also  a 
sanatorium  for  nervous  patients. 
It  is  not  very  far  from  Eger,  and 
can  therefore  be  conveniently 
visited  as  an  "after-cure"  by 
patients  from  Marienbad,  Carls- 
bad, or  Franzensbad. 

Season,  from  June  15  to  begin- 
ning of  October. 

Alexisbad  (Germany),  in  the 
Selkethal,  a  valley  of  the  Harz 
Mountains,  1,080  feet  above  the 
sea,  has  a  chalybeate  spring,  to 
which  carbonic  acid  is  added  for 
exportation.  Pine-needle  baths 
and  artificial  salt  baths  are  also 
available  there.  It  is  resorted  to 
also  for  its  fresh  forest  air.  It  is 
a  two  hours'  drive  from  the  rail- 
way station  of  Gernrode. 

Season,  June  15  to  Sept.  25. 

Alvaneubad,  a  cold  sulphur 
bath  on  the  well-known  Albula 
road  to  Davos  and  the  Engadine. 
It  is  about  midway  between  Coire 


and  Davos,  at  an  elevation  of 
3,150  feet.  The  spring  is  feebly 
mineralised  (i'338  of  salts),  but 
contains  a  small  amount  of  free 
H2S  and  carbonic  acid  gas.  The 
salts  consist  of  alkaline  and  earthy 
sulphates,  sodium  chloride,  mag- 
nesium carbonate,  alumina,  silica, 
and  a  very  small  amount  of  iron. 

The  sub-alpine  climate  is  favour- 
able to  exercise,  and  the  surround- 
ing neighbourhood  affords  many 
interesting  excursions.  The  water 
is  prescribed  internally  in  doses  of 
four  to  eight  glasses  a  day,  and 
acts  as  a  diuretic  and  laxative. 

For  the  baths  it  is  heated  to  90° 
or  95°  F. ,  and  they  are  often  pro- 
longed to  an  hour  or  longer  in 
some  cases.  Douches,  vapour 
|  baths,  and  fumigations  are  also 
employed.  They  are  used  in  the 
same  cases  as  other  sulphur  baths  : 
chronic  muscular  and  articular 
rheumatism  and  gout,  skin  dis- 
eases, especially  eczema,  chronic 
catarrhs  of  the  respiratory  and 
other  organs,  urinary  gravel,  some 
chronic  affections  of  the  female 
pelvic  organs,  anaemia,  and  general 
debility;  in  the  latter  the  tonic 
climate  counts  for  much.  The 
season  is  from  June  15  to  Sept.  15. 

Amphion  les  Bains.    See  Evian. 

Andabre,  in  the  department  of 
Aveyron,  France,  has  gaseous 
springs  containing  both  bicar- 
bonate of  soda  and  bicarbonate 
of  iron.  It  is  a  two  hours'  drive 
from  the  station  St.  Affrique,  the 
terminus  of  a  branch  from  the 
line  between  Clermont  and  Beziers. 
Its  altitude  is  about  1,300  feet. 

Its  principal  spring,  LaBuvette, 
has  a  mineralisation  of  2-5 
grammes  per  litre,  of  which  i  -80  is 
formed  of  sodium  bicarbonate,  and 
0-065  °f  bicarbonate  of  iron ;  the 
other  ingredients  are  magnesium 
and  calcium  bicarbonates  and 
small  amounts  of  chlorides. 

This  water  is  used  in  baths  and 
douches  as  well  as  drunk;  it  is 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  I. 


also  exported.  It  is  adapted  to 
the  treatment  of  anaemic  dyspep- 
tics, chlorosis,  and  retarded  con- 
valescence. 

Andeer-Pignieu,  a  Swiss  resort, 
at  an  elevation  of  3,200  feet,  on  the 
Spliigen  road,  about  three  hours' 
drive  from  Thusis,  which  has  a 
weakly  mineralised  calcium  sul- 
phate spring,  arising  at  Pignieu 
and  conducted  to  the  bath  estab- 
lishment at  Andeer.  It  contains 
1-734  grammes  of  calcium  sulphate 
in  a  litre,  and  0-189  °f  calcium 
bicarbonate,  0-320  magnesium  sul- 
phate with  smaller  quantities  of 
alkaline  sulphates  and  a  minute 
amount  of  iron.  A  ferruginous, 
vegeto-mineral  mud  is  also  utilised. 
The  waters  are  drunk,  and  have  a 
decidedly  diuretic  action.  The  dose 
is  from  two  to  five  glasses  daily. 
Douches  are  also  given,  and  the 
water  is  inhaled  in  chronic  catarrh 
of  the  pharynx  and  larynx. 

The  mud  baths  are  made  by 
mixing  the  mud  with  the  water 
and  heating  the  mixture  by  steam 
to  104°  F.  The  bath  lasts  from 
thirty  to  forty  minutes.  The 
patient  afterwards  has  a  cleansing 
bath  of  water  and  a  period  of 
repose.  The  mud  is  also  some- 
times applied  locally  as  a  poultice, 
as  hot  as  possible.  Andeer  is 
rather  exposed  to  winds,  and  is 
distinctly  bracing. 

The  mineral  water  is  given  in 
catarrhs  of  the  respiratory  organs, 
in  pleural  exudations,  and  in 
chronic  cystitis.  Chronic  rheu- 
matic and  gouty  affections,  cer- 
tain skin  affections,  chronic  in- 
flammatory exudations  connected 
with  the  female  pelvic  organs,  are 
treated  with  mud  baths  also.  The 
season  is  from  the  middle  of  June 
to  the  end  of  September. 

Antogast,  a  Black  Forest  resort 
with  gaseous  chalybeate  springs ; 
one  of  the  "  Kniebis  Spas"  in 
Baden.  It  is  reached  in  half  an 
hour's  drive  from  the  station  of 


Oppenau.  It  has  an  elevation  of 
i ,600  feet,  and  is  surrounded  by 
pine-clad  mountains  over  3,000  feet 
in  height.  It  has  three  springs 
containing  iron  (bicarbonate  of 
iron  0-04),  together  with  the  alka- 
line bicarbonates  of  sodium, 
magnesium,  and  calcium,  a  small 
amount  of  sodium  sulphate,  and 
free  carbonic  acid,  The  waters 
are  drunk  and  used  as  baths  ;  and 
as  accessories  "mud  ooze"  baths, 
pine  resin  baths,  and  brine  baths 
are  given,  and  the  milk  cure  is 
also  prescribed  to  some  of  the 
patients.  The  bottled  water  is 
exported.  These  springs  have  a 
reputation  dating  back  to  the 
middle  ages.  They  are  prescribed 
in  stomach  and  intestinal  com- 
plaints, in  functional  affections  of 
the  liver  and  kidneys,  and  in 
anaemia  and  certain  diseases  of 
women.  Season,  May  to  October. 

Archena,  a  hot  sulphur  spring 
(temperature  131°  F.)  in  the  pro- 
vince of  Murcia,  Spain. 

Argeles-Gazost,  a  cold  sulphur 
water  in  the  Hautes  Pyrenees, 
conducted  from  Gazost  to  Argeles, 
a  distance  of  ten  miles.  The 
springs  are  feebly  mineralised,  the 
strongest  (Source  Noire)  contain- 
ing 0-03  grammes  of  sodium  and 
calcium  sulphates  to  the  litre,  a 
small  amount  of  sodium  chloride 
(0-38),  and,  it  is  said,  a  small  quan- 
tity of  alkaline  bromides  and 
iodides.  These  waters  are  drunk, 
used  as  baths  and  douches,  and 
inhaled  in  pulverisation.  They 
are  regarded  as  more  sedative  and 
less  exciting  than  the  hot  sulphur 
springs.  They  are  used  in  cases 
of  chronic  catarrh  of  the  respira- 
tory passages  and  in  some  female 
pelvic  affections  where  sedative 
treatment  is  required,  and  in  some 
skin  diseases.  These  waters  are 
exported.  There  is  a  suitable 
bath  establishment,  and  good  ac- 
commodation for  visitors.  The 
season  is  from  June  i  to  Sept.  30. 


SECT.  B.J 


ARNSTADT—A  ULUS. 


79 


Argeles  is  beautifully  situated 
and  a  charming  resort  on  the  line 
between  Lourdes  and  Pierrefitte, 
54  kilometres  from  Pau.  It  is 
surrounded  by  high  mountains, 
which  protect  it  from  winds  and 
assure  it  a  mild  winter  climate ; 
but  it  is  very  hot  in  summer. 

Arnstadt,  at  the  northern  border 
of  the  Thuringian  Forest,  has  a 
strong  common  salt  spring  used 
for  bathing,  and  a  milder  one  for 
drinking.  Diseases  treated  there 
are  scrofula,  rickets,  female  pelvic 
'  maladies,  etc.  Season,  April  to 
end  of  September. 

Assmannsuausen,  a  pleasant 
Rhenish  resort  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  river  at  the  foot  of  the 
Neiderwald,  has  a  weakly  mineral- 
ised warm  muriated  alkaline  spring 
(temperature  82 '8°  F.),  having 
only  i  gramme  of  salts  to  the 
litre — sodium  chloride,  carbonate, 
etc.  It  is  claimed  for  this  spring 
that,  owing  to  a  small  amount  of 
lithium  bicarbonate  (0-028)  con- 
tained in  it,  it  is  of  much  value 
in  cases  of  gout,  muscular  rheu- 
matism, chronic  gastric  and  in- 
testinal catarrh  ;  functional  renal 
and  vesical  affections  and  chronic 
catarrh  of  the  respiratory  passages 
are  also  treated  there.  The  quiet, 
pleasant  life,  in  picturesque  sur- 
roundings, combined  with  the  in- 
gestion  of  much  solvent  tepid, 
though  feebly  mineralised,  water, 
is  calculated  to  be  useful  to 
sufferers  from  those  maladies. 
Season,  May  15  to  Sept.  15. 

Audinac,  a  warm  (70°  F.)  cal- 
careous earthy  spring,  containing 
a  little  iron,  of  no  great  importance, 
in  the  Pyrenees,  about  three  miles 
from  St.  Girons  Railway  Station. 

Auerbach,  an  agreeable  summer 
resort,  half  an  hour  from  Darm- 
stadt, Grand  Duchy  of  Hesse, 
has  weak  earthy  mineral  waters 
used  as  baths. 

Augustusbad,  a  chalybeate  spa 
in  Saxony,  an  hour  from  Dres- 


I  den,  about  half  an  hour  from 
!  the  railway  station  of  Rade- 
berg ;  has  also  a  hydropathic 
establishment.  It  has  an  elevation 
of  718  feet.  The  chief  constituent 
of  the  springs  is  protocarbonate  of 
iron.  Two  of  these  are  charged 
artificially  with  carbonic  acid  gas 
and  used  for  drinking,  the  others 
are  utilised  for  baths,  inhalations, 
and  gargling;  mud  (from  the  neigh- 
bourhood) baths  and  artificial 
carbonic  acid  baths  are  also  em- 
ployed. These  remedial  agents 
are  applied  in  cases  of  anaemia, 
chlorosis,  debility,  rickets,  diges- 
tive disturbances,  some  forms  of 
cardiac  disease,  and  female  mala- 
dies. Season,  May  i  to  Sept.  30. 
Aulus  (Ariege,  Pyrenees), 
reached  by  rail  from  Paris  to 
Toulouse  and  Toulouse  to  St. 
Girons,  then  eighteen  miles  by 
carriage ;  it  is  situated  in  a 
valley  about  2,400  feet  above  the 
sea,  surrounded  by  high  moun- 
tains. There  are  many  charming 
excursions  and  mountain  ascen- 
sions to  be  made  there.  The  waters 
are  of  a  temperature  of  68°  to 
55°  F.,  and  contain  sulphate  of  lime 
chiefly,  a  smaller  proportion  of 
sulphate  of.magnesia  and  chloride 
of  sodium,  small  quantities  of  iron, 
manganese,  and  a  trace  of  arsenic. 
The  total  mineralisation  is  about 
2-8  grammes  to  a  litre,  of  which 
i '86  is  sulphate  of  lime.  It  re- 
sembles the  Contrexeville  springs 
and  belongs  to  the  same  class  of 
earthy  calcareous  waters.  It  is  drunk 
and  used  as  baths  and  douches. 
It  is  also  largely  exported.  These 
waters  are  said  to  be  useful  in  de- 
bility of  the  stomach  and  intes- 
tines, with  constipation,  in  vesical 
catarrh,  anaemia,  and  chlorosis, 
and  to  exercise  a  specific  effect  in 
cases  of  inveterate  syphilis.  Their 
action  is  laxative  and  diuretic,  and 
through  their  eliminative  proper- 
ties they  may  be  regarded,  in  some 
cases,  as  tonic  and  anti-syphilitic. 


80                              MINERAL  SPRINGS.                   [PART  I. 

As  at  Contrexeville,  this  cure   is  salt  works,  salt  baths,  whey  cure, 

also  indicated  in  uric  acid,  oxalic  hydropathic     establishment,    etc. 

and  phosphatic  gravel.     It  is  said  \    The   season   is    from  May    15    to 

to  especially  improve  the  abdomi-  ,    Oct.  i. 

nal  circulation,  and  so  to  relieve  !        Auteuil,  a  suburb  of  Paris,  hav- 

haemorrhoids  and  enlargements  of  |    ing  a  cold  chalybeate  spring  and  a 

the  liver.      There   are   two  well-  bathing  establishment.     The  iron 

appointed    establishments.      The  is  in  the  form  of  a  compound  sul- 

season  is  from  June  i  to  Oct.   i.  phate  of  alumina  and  iron  (0-71 

Aussee  (Styria),  2,145  feet  above  ;    grammes  in  a  litre) .     It  also  con- 

the    sea,    is    a    popular   Austrian  tains     calcium     sulphate     (i'7o), 

watering-place    in    the    Salzkam-  j   sulphates  of  magnesia  and  soda 

mergut,  about  twenty  miles  by  rail  j    (0-39),  and  traces  of  arsenic.    The 

from     Ischl.      It     is     beautifully  water  is  exported.     It  is  used  for 


situated    on    the    Traun,    in    the 


drinking,  bathing,  and  douches  in 


midst  of  charming  mountain  and       cases   of  anaemia,    chlorosis,  and 
lake  scenery,   and  has  extensive    |   debility. 


Baden-Baden  is  a  well-known  and  popular  health 
and  pleasure  resort,  situated  in  the  Grand  Duchy  of 
Baden,  in  the  northern  part  of  the  Black  Forest,  at  an 
elevation  of  650  feet.  It  is  reached  by  a  short  branch 
line  from  Oos,  a  station  on  the  main  line  between 
Frankfort  and  Bale.  From  London  the  most  direct 
route  is  via  Cologne  and  the  Rhine,  from  Paris  via 
Strasburg. 

The  situation  of  Baden-Baden  is  most  picturesque 
and  one  of  great  natural  beauty,  surrounded  as  it  is 
by  forest-clad  mountains,  with  pine  trees  of  noble 
growth  and  magnitude,  and  presenting  shady  walks 
and  drives  of  almost  endless  variety  and  distance, 
while  the  gardens  and  pleasure  grounds  of  the 
town  itself  are  laid  out  with  remarkable  skill,  and 
attractiveness.  The  hotel  and  other  accommodation 
probably  exceeds  in  comfort  and  luxury  that  of  any 
other  town  in  Europe,  and  amusements  and  dis- 
tractions of  all  kinds  are  provided. 

The  climate  is  mild  and  sedative  and  the  air  still, 
on  account  of  the  height  of  the  encircling  hills,  but 
it  is  somewhat  humid.  The  mean  annual  temperature 
is  from  48°  to  50°  F.  It  has  an  early  spring  and  a 
protracted  summer. 

The  number  and  attractiveness  of  the  excursions 


SECT.  B.]  BADEN-BADEN.  Si 

to  be  made  from  Baden-Baden  into  the  adjacent 
regions  of  the  Black  Forest  make  it  an  admirable 
centre  for  exploring  the  northern  part  of  that  beauti- 
ful district. 

The  springs  of  Baden-Baden  are  hot  weak  sodium 
chloride  springs,  of  which  there  are  a  great  number — 
more  than  twenty — almost  alike  in  composition  and 
differing  only  in  temperature  (from  112°  to  154°  R). 
They  belong  to  the  State,  but  some  are  leased  to 
private  hotels. 

Their  mineralisation  is  feeble,  27  grammes  of 
solids  per  litre,  of  which,  in  the  spring  chiefly  used  for 
drinking,  the  Hauptstallenquelle,  there  are  2-0  of 
sodium  chloride,  0*16  each  of  calcium  chloride  and 
carbonate,  0*053  of  lithium  chloride,  and  0*0007  of 
arsenate  of  lime. 

It  is  maintained  that  these  minute  amounts  of 
lithium  and  arsenic  are  of  importance  in  the  treat- 
ment of  gouty  and  cutaneous  diseases,  but  this  is 
at  least  doubtful. 

The  affinities  of  these  feebly  mineralised  springs 
are  clearly  rather  with  the  class  of  indifferent  thermal 
waters. 

The  hottest  spring  and  the  one  giving  the  largest 
outflow  is  the  Ursprung.  This  has  a  temperature  of 
154°  F.  The  springs  have  to  be  cooled,  sometimes 
by  the  addition  of  common  water,  before  they  can 
be  used  for  baths,  inhalations,  gargling,  etc. 

Drinking  is  rather  secondary  to  bathing  there,  and 
it  is  often  thought  desirable  to  fortify  the  waters,  when 
they  are  drunk,  with  other  salts,  such  as  those  of 
Marienbad  or  Carlsbad,  in  order  to  render  them 
somewhat  aperient. 

The  bathing  establishments  are'  of  the  most 
luxurious  and  elaborate  description  —  quite  monu- 
mental edifices.  The  chief  of  them  are  the  Friedrichs- 
bad  and  the  Kaiserin-Augustabad  (for  ladies  only). 
Every  kind  of  bath  can  be  had  in  these  institutions. 
Salt  is  often  added  to  the  ordinary  thermal  bath ; 
what  is  known  there  as  Wildbad  is  a  bath  with 


82  MINERAL  SPRINGS.  [PARTI. 

running  water,  so  that  the  temperature  is  kept  con- 
stant all  the  time ;  there  are  also  vapour  baths  of 
the  vapour  of  the  natural  springs  (especially  the 
Ursprung)  ;  hot  air  baths,  general  and  local ;  mud 
baths  made  with  the  fango  of  Battaglia  ;  electric 
baths  ;  and  all  kinds  of  douches.  A  very  complete 
installation  of  the  Zander  appliances  for  Swedish 
gymnastics  exists  at  the  Friedrichsbad.  There  are 
also  arrangements  for  applying  the  Wassmuth  and 
other  methods  of  inhalation.  All  the  methods  of 
hydrotherapy  can  be  carried  out  at  Baden-Baden, 
and,  at  the  proper  seasons,  the  grape  and  milk  cures. 
Compressed  air  chambers  are  also  at  the  service 
of  invalids  suffering  from  chronic  pulmonary  affec- 
tions, especially  emphysema  and  bronchial  catarrh. 

Suitable  walks  have  been  marked  out,  for  many 
years,  for  the  application  of  the  "Terrain-kur"  for 
obese  persons  with  cardiac  feebleness ;  but  this 
very  risky  method  of  treatment  of  chronic  cardiac 
affections,  risky  owing  to  the  inherent  difficulty  in 
diagnosing  the  precise  conditions  of  the  cardiac 
muscle  in  such  cases,  has  rightly  fallen  into  disuse. 

As  already  stated,  some  of  the  hotels  have 
thermal  baths  belonging  to  them,  so  that  invalids  can 
conveniently  bathe  without  leaving  their  hotel. 
There  is  a  State  bath-house  for  the  poor,  the  Landes- 
bad,  and  there  are  several  private  sanatoria.  Indeed, 
Baden-Baden,  like  Wiesbaden,  is  a  sort  of  invalid's 
compendium,  where  various  kinds  of  physical  and 
other  treatments  can  be  applied  in  addition  to  the 
treatment  by  the  thermal  waters. 

Finally,  as  to  the  cases  suitable  for  treatment  at 
Baden,  first  in  order  are  rheumatic,  gouty,  and  other 
affections  of  tlie  joints ;  then  functional  disorders  of 
the  nervous  system,  hysteria,  and  other  neuroses  ;  loss 
of  muscular  power  and  certain  forms  of  paralysis  ; 
the  consequences  of  injuries  to  bones  and  joints  ; 
those  chronic  skin  affections  which  are  benefited  by 
maceration  in  thermal  water,  or  such  as  are  asso- 
ciated with  the  gouty  diathesis  ;  catarrhal  dyspepsia 


SECT.  B.I  BADEN-BADEN.  83 

in  feeble,  nervous  subjects ;  chronic  catarrhs  of  the 
respiratory  passages  ;  and  convalescents  from  malaria 
and  other  infective  disorders. 

The  bathing  establishments  are  open  all  the  year 
round,  but  the  best  season  for  treatment  is  from  May 
ist  to  the  end  of  October.  It  is  sometimes  very  hot 
in  July  and  August. 

Baden,  in  Austria,  a  few  miles  from  Vienna 
(one  hour  by  train),  is  a  thermal  sulphur  bath,  and 
is  highly  popular  with  the  Viennese  as  a  summer 
resort.  It  is  agreeably  situated  at  an  elevation  of 
700  feet  at  the  entrance  of  the  Helmenthal.  The 
sulphur  springs  are  of  a  temperature  varying  from 
80°  to  95°  F.,  and  they  are  used  more  for  bathing 
than  for  drinking.  Calcium  sulphide  is  the  charac- 
teristic ingredient,  of  which  salt  there  is  about 
0*02  per  litre.  Besides  thermal  swimming  baths 
there  are  mud  baths  (full  baths  and  local  baths) 
and  the  ordinary  separate  baths.  The  usual 
methods  of  hydrotherapy  are  also  applied.  The 
cases  treated  at  this  spa  are  chronic  gouty  and 
rheumatic  joint  affections,  muscular  rheumatism, 
and  scrofulous  affections  of  the  glands,  bones, 
joints,  and  skin.  The  thermal  water,  mixed  with 
milk  or  whey,  or  some  other  mineral  water,  is 
sometimes  prescribed  in  catarrhal  affections  of  the 
gastro-intestinal  and  respiratory  organs. 

The  baths  are  open  all  the  year,  but  from  May 
15  to  Oct.  15  is  the  best  season  for  treatment. 
The  hotel  accommodation  is  good. 

Baden,  in  Switzerland  (canton  Aargau),  is  a 
thermal  bath  on  the  line  of  rail  between  Bale  and 
Zurich,  and  only  twenty-one  kilometres  from  the 
latter  town.  It  was  known  to  the  Romans  as 
Aqua  Helvetia.  It  is  situated  on  the  banks  of  the 
river  Limmat  at  an  altitude  of  1,230  feet.  It  is 
in  a  picturesque,  sheltered  situation,  surrounded  by 
mountains  and  forests,  and  having  a  mild  climate. 


84  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I. 

The  waters,  which  spring  from  many  different  sources 
on  both  banks  of  the  river,  though  smelling  slightly 
of  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  contain  very  little  of  that 
gas.  Its  total  mineralisation  is  4*0  grammes  per 
litre,  of  which  the  largest  portion  is  sodium  sulphate 
(i'8o)  and  calcium  chloride  (1*34)  ;  the  remaining 
constituents  being  magnesium  bicarbonate  (0*35), 
sodium  chloride  (0*34),  potassium  sulphate  (0*12), 
lithium  chloride  (o'O2).  Borates  and  a  minute 
amount  oT  arsenic  have  been  found  in  these  springs. 
Others  regard  them  as  containing  a  predominating 
proportion  of  calcium  sulphate.  But  the  published 
analyses  have  not  always  been  in  agreement  with  one 
another,  and  it  is  probable  that  certain  variations  in 
the  composition  of  some  of  the  springs  occur  from 
time  to  time.  Their  temperature  varies  from  100° 
to  120°  F.  The  thermal 'water  is  chiefly  used  for 
baths,  and  drinking  the  water  is  quite  subordinate 
to  its  external  use.  The  water  when  drunk  is  often 
mixed  with  the  laxative  Birmenstorf  water  found 
in  the  neighbourhood.  It  is  a  great  convenience  to 
patients  that  the  baths  are  to  be  found  installed  in 
the  different  hotels,  and  there  is  no  separate  bath 
establishment  except  a  bath-house  for  indigent 
patients.  Very  prolonged  baths  used  to  be  pre- 
scribed .there,  but  now  they  are  rarely  ordered  for 
longer  than  one  hour. 

The  cases  which  are  considered  suitable  for 
treatment  at  Baden  are  rheumatic  joint  affections, 
rheumatoid  arthritis,  atonic  forms  of  chronic  gout, 
traumatic  stiff  joints,  neuralgia,  sciatica,  peripheral 
paralysis,  lead  poisoning,  haemorrhoidal  affections,  and 
certain  affections  of  the  female  pelvic  organs  asso- 
ciated with  abdominal  plethora  and  of  rheumatic 
origin. 

The  baths  are  usually  taken  in  the  early  morning 
before  breakfast,  and  sometimes,  in  order  to  in- 
crease the  stimulating  effect,  they  are  fortified  by 
the  addition  of  salt  from  the  neighbouring  salt 
baths  at  Rheinfelden.  Massage  is  freely  applied, 


SECT.  B.]  BADENWEILER.  85 

especially  in  cases  of  sciatica  and  lumbago.  Chronic 
catarrh  of  the  respiratory  passages,  when  associated 
with  gouty  and  rheumatic  tendencies,  is  treated  by 
inhalations  of  the  water.  The  season  is  from  May 
15  to  the  end  of  September.  A  "terrain  cure" 
can  be  carried  out  in  the  neighbourhood,  if  desired. 
Baden  possesses  a  casino  situated  in  a  tastefully 
laid-out  park,  and  furnished  with  a  theatre  and  con- 
venient salons  for  the  use  of  visitors. 

Badenweiler,  in  the  southern  part  of  the  Black 
Forest,  has  springs  belonging  to  the  class  of  simple 
thermal  waters.  The  hottest  of  the  springs  has 
a  temperature  of  only  80°  F.,  and  it  is  very  feebly 
mineralised,  having  only  0*35  of  solids  per  litre. 
These  are  reported  to  consist  of  sodium  sulphate, 
calcium  carbonate,  and  lithium  chloride.  The  water 
is  also  said  to  contain  much  free  nitrogen.  There 
are  large  bathing  pools,  including  the  "  marble  bath," 
open  to  the  air,  in  which  the  water  is  of  the  natural 
temperature,  but  for  separate  baths  it  has  its  tem- 
perature raised.  There  are  remains  of  thermce, 
which  show  that  the  Romans  utilised  these  springs, 
The  baths  are  used  for  their  sedative  properties, 
and  if  a  more  stimulating  effect  is  desired,  they 
are  fortified  by  the  addition  of  common  salt,  or 
mother-lye  from  some  Soolbad,  or  other  medicinal 
material.  Vapour  baths  and  mud  baths — the  mud 
being  brought  from  Kaiserslautern — are  also  given 
there. 

The  cases  sent  to  Badenweiler  for  treatment 
are  those  of  neurasthenia,  chronic  gout  and  rheu- 
matism in  irritable  and  nervous  constitutions,  chronic 
neuralgia,  convalescents  from  acute  disease,  and  per- 
sons suffering  from  over- work  and  over-excitement. 

Badenweiler  is  often  prescribed  as  a  climatic 
resort  and  after-cure  for  persons  who  have  been 
taking  more  active  mineral  cures.  It  is  well  suited 
for  this  purpose  by  its  beautiful  and  attractive 
situation  at  an  altitude  of  1,400  feet,  in  the  midst 


86  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

of  pine  forests,  and  sheltered  by  a  semicircle  of 
mountains  from  all  but  westerly  winds.  It  is  often, 
on  account  of  its  equable,  mild  climate,  recom- 
mended as  a  spring  or  winter  resort  for  pulmonary 
invalids.  There  is  a  more  bracing  resort  at  hand— 
the  "  Haus-Baden  " — at  an  elevation  of  1,750  feet. 

The  ground  on  some  of  the  surrounding  slopes 
has  been  marked  out  for  the  "  Terrain-kur." 
Good  accommodation  can  be  obtained  both  in 
hotels  and  private  houses. 

The  nearest  railway  station  is  Mulheim,  on  the 
line  between  Frankfort  and  Bale,  from  which  Baden- 
weiler  is  a  short  drive.  The  chief  season  is  from 
May  to  October,  but  it  has  also  a  winter  season. 

Bagneres-de-Bigorre  (Hautes  Pyrenees)  is  a 
pretty  little  town  of  about  12,000  inhabitants, 
beautifully  situated  near  the  entrance  to  one  of  the 
most  celebrated  valleys  of  the  Pyrenees.  It  has 
earthy  indifferent  thermal  springs  —  some  are 
reported  to  contain  iron  and  arsenic — and  also 
sulphur  waters,  which  are  imported  from  the  neigh- 
bourhood. The  sulphate  of  lime  springs,  however, 
are  the  characteristic  waters  of  the  place.  Its  baths 
were  certainly  known  and  esteemed  by  the  Romans, 
and  in  the  sixteenth  century  it  was  one  of  the 
most  famous  rendezvous  of  the  Southern  nobility. 
Montaigne  describes  it  as  at  that  time  one  of  the 
best  places  he  had  discovered  de  se  /aver  le  corps 
tons  les  jours  (/),  on  account  of  its  agreeable  situation, 
its  comfortable  quarters,  good  food,  and  good 
company. 

It  has  two  bath  establishments,  in  which  all 
the  appliances  are  provided  for  baths,  douches, 
vapour  baths  with  massage,  pulverisation,  inhala- 
tion, gargling,  etc.  Its  numerous  springs  are  feebly 
mineralised,  and  of  a  temperature  varying  from 
88°  to  122°  F.— the  Source  Salies  is  the  hottest— 
and  do  not  contain  sulphur,  a  very  exceptional 
circumstance  in  the  Pyrenean  springs.  Their  chief 


SECT.  B.]  BAGNERES-DE-BIGORRE.  87 

constituent  is  calcium  sulphate,  rSo  grammes  per 
litre.  Some  of  these  springs  contain  a  little  iron, 
e.g.  La  Reine  contains,  it  is  said,  0*08  of  car- 
bonate of  iron.  Some  of  the  other  cold  springs 
are  said  to  contain  rather  more  iron,  as  well  as 
sodium  arsenate.  The  water  of  a  sulphur  spring 
eight  miles  off,  at  Labassere,  is  brought  to  Bagneres 
in  covered  vessels.  It  contains  sodium  sulphide 
0*046,  sodium  chloride  0*20,  and  baregine  O'i4. 

These  waters  are  used  as  baths  and  internally, 
and  are  thought  to  be  especially  valuable  in  cases 
of  hypersesthesia,  in  excited  and  feeble  nervous 
systems  ;  in  such  cases  they  are  reported  to  pro- 
duce remarkable  calming  and  sedative  effects.  They 
are,  in  consequence,  much  resorted  to  by  delicate 
ladies  with  hysterical  and  other  disturbed  conditions 
of  the  nervous  system.  Daily  immersion  for  some 
time  in  thermal  water  has,  no  doubt,  in  many 
cases,  a  very  soothing  effect,  and  this  influence 
must  be  aided  and  augmented  by  the  calm,  unex- 
citing life,  the  mild  mountain  climate,  and  the 
agreeable  surrounding  scenery.  The  different  sources 
employed  there  have,  however,  somewhat  different 
indications.  The  Labassere  sulphur  water,  in  com- 
bination with  the  Salies  spring,  is  used  for  catarrhal 
affections  of  the  throat  and  respiratory  passages, 
for  torpid  forms  of  rheumatism,  and  for  eczematous, 
moist  skin  affections ;  but  the  dominant  in- 
dication at  Bagneres-de-Bigorre  is  neurasthenia- 
arthritic,  cutaneous,  uterine,  gastro-intestinal,  and 
anaemic  states  in  the  neurotic— including  cases  of 
over-work  and  insomnia. 

The  town  lies  at  an  elevation  of  1,800  feet  above 
the  sea,  on  the  Adour,  in  a  charming  situation,  near 
the  opening  of  the  valley  of  Campan,  and  over- 
looking the  rich  plain  ot  Tarbes  (distant  eighteen 
hours  by  rail  from  Paris).  It  is  not  in  the  moun- 
tains, like  many  of  the  other  Pyrenean  spas,  but  is 
situated  just  where  the  lesser  elevations  begin  to 
rise  from  the  plains.  It  is  amongst  the  outposts  of 


88  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

the  great  central  chain.  Its  pleasant  climate  and 
attractive  scenery,  and  its  accessibility  by  railway, 
make  it  a  much  frequented  resort  of  the  permanent 
winter  residents  at  Pau,  anxious  to  escape  the  great 
summer  heat  of  that  town. 

Bagneres-de-Bigorre  is  rich  in  Roman  remains. 
"  The  Romans,"  says  M.  Taine,  "  a  people  as  civilised 
and  as  bored  as  we  are,  came  as  we  do  to  Bagneres. 
Rome  has  left  her  traces  everywhere  at  Bagneres. 
The  pleasantest  of  these  relics  of  antiquity  are  the 
monuments  which  the  patients  who  were  cured 
there  erected  to  the  Nymphs,  and  the  inscriptions 
upon  which  still  exist.  Reclining  in  their  marble 
baths,  they  felt  the  healing  virtue  of  the  beneficent 
goddess  spread  through  their  limbs ;  their  eyes 
half-closed,  dozing  in  the  soft  embrace  of  the  tepid 
water,  they  heard  the  mysterious  spring  falling 
drop  by  drop,  in  monotonous  chant,  from  the  bosom 
of  its  mother  rock ;  they  saw  the  surface  of  the 
effused  water  glisten  around  them  with  its  pale 
green  ripples  ;  and  there  passed  before  them,  like 
a  vision,  the  strange  look  and  the  magic  voice  of 
the  unknown  divinity  who  visited  the  light  in  order 
to  bring  health  to  unhappy  mortals." 

Many  highly  attractive  and  interesting  excursions 
can  be  made  into  the  beautiful  surrounding  neigh- 
bourhood. The  season  is  from  June  1 5  to  Oct.  i . 

Bagnoles  de  1'Orne,  a  very  feebly  mineralised 
warm  bath,  which  may  be  referred  to  the  class  of 
simple  thermal  waters,  or  indeterminate  waters  of 
French  authors,  is  situated  at  an  elevation  of  750 
feet  above  the  sea  in  a  well-wooded  and  picturesque 
part  of  Normandy  termed  La  Suisse  Normande,  and 
its  waters  are  specially  applied  to  the  treatment  of 
inflammation  of  the  veins,  the  various  forms  of 
phlebitis  and  their  consequences.  It  has  a  station 
on  a  branch  of  the  Kne  between  Paris  and  Granville, 
and  is  about  five  hours  from  Paris.  It  is  the  only 
important  thermal  bath  in  the  west  of  France, 


SECT.  B.]  BAGNOLES    DE    L'ORNE.  89 

Its  thermal  spring,  called  La  Grande  Source,  has 
a  temperature  of  about  80°  F.,  and  is  the  one 
generally  used,  but  it  has  also  a  cold  weak  chalybeate 
spring.  The  Grande  Source  is  very  feebly  mineral- 
ised, having  only  '0625  grammes  of  dry  solids  to  the 
litre,  and  this  is  composed  of  sodium  chloride  ('0161) 
and  sulphate  (-0128),  small  quantities  of  silica  and  of 
bicarbonate  of  lime  and  iron.  It  has  a  peculiar 
unctuous  feeling,  which  is  referred  to  the  presence 
of  silicates  and  to  a  small  amount  of  organic  matter. 
It  gives  off  gases  composed  mainly  of  carbonic  acid 
and  nitrogen  with  traces  of  argon  and  helium.  It 
has  a  faint  odour  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen.  The 
cold  ferruginous  spring  has  the  same  composition  as 
the  Grand  Source,  plus  a  little  oxide  of  iron.  In- 
ternally both  these  springs  are  used — the  iron  spring 
is  often  bottled  and  drunk  as  a  table  water  at  meals. 
For  external  use  the  Grande  Source  alone  is  used. 
Its  temperature  is  increased  by  the  addition  of  some 
of  the  mineral  water  heated  in  a  closed  vessel. 

The  special  treatment  at  Bagnoles  consists  in 
drinking  the  Grande  Source  and  bathing  in  tepid 
baths,  but  the  fundamental  part  of  the  treatment 
is  the  bathing,  associated  with  suitable,  properly 
adapted  movements,  and  massage.  This  is  believed 
to  act,  first,  by  rousing  and  promoting  the  peri- 
pheral circulation  by  removing  capillary  and  venous 
stasis,  secondly,  by  stimulating  vascular  and  visceral 
tone,  and  thirdly,  by  a  sedative  effect  on  the  nervous 
system.  Hence  the  value  of  the  treatment  in  cases 
of  diseases  of  the  veins  and  especially  of  rheu- 
matic phlebitis,  as  well  as  in  the  removal  of  the 
consequences  of  other  forms  of  phlebitis  such  as 
the  puerperal  form ;  it  is  also  of  value  in  painful 
and  congested  varices,  and  it  checks  the  tendency 
to  recurrence  in  gouty  phlebitis.  In  all  affections 
of  the  peripheral  circulation  it  is  valuable.  It 
is  also  recommended  in  convalescence  from  acute 
rheumatism,  and  is  said  to  promote  the  retro- 
gression of  recent  affections  of  the  cardiac  valves. 


go  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

In  other  maladies  in  the  neuro-arthritic  it  has 
been  found  of  use,  as  in  dysmenorrhcea,  amenor- 
rhcea,  certain  forms  of  metritis,  in  some  atonic  and 
gastralgic  dyspepsias,  and  in  some  languid  skin  affec- 
tions, particularly  eczema  and  varicose  ulcerations. 
Finally,  excitable  neurotics  are  benefited  by  the 
sedative  baths  and  the  mildly  tonic  forest  climate. 
Caution  must,  of  course,  be  observed  so  as  not  to 
send  to  Bagnoles  cases  of  phlebitis  in  the  acute 
febrile  stage,  or  when  there  is  still  risk  of  embolism. 
"The  cure  of  the  consequences  of  attacks  of 
phlebitis  is,"  says  Dr.  Barrabe,  "the  triumph  of 
our  bathing  station."  He  maintains  that  the  water 
has  a  special  vaso-constricting  action  on  the  smooth 
muscular  fibre  of  the  small  vessels.  The  hotels  are 
good  and  the  charges  moderate.  The  season  is  from 
June  ist  to  Oct.  ist. 

Balaruc  is  a  thermal  common  salt  bath  situated 
six  miles  from  the  Mediterranean  port  of  Cette, 
from  which  town  it  is  separated  by  the  salt 
"  Etang  de  Thau."  It  is  from  fourteen  and  a-half  to 
seventeen  hours  from  Paris  by  express  train.  Owing 
to  its  adjacency  to  the  sea  it  combines  the  properties 
of  a  thermal  salt  spring  with  those  of  a  maritime 
climate.  It  is,  of  course,  very  hot  in  summer. 

It  has  three  springs,  the  hottest  of  which  (La 
Source  Ancienne  or  Romaine)  has  a  temperature  of 
1 1 8°  F.  Besides  chloride  of  sodium  (7*045  grammes 
per  litre),  magnesium  (0-889),  lithium  (0-007),  and 
copper  (0*007),  traces  of  bromides  and  nitrates  are 
present,  and  some  free  nitrogen  and  carbonic  acid 
gases.  A  colder  spring  (Bidon)  is  used  to  lower  the 
temperature  of  the  preceding.  As  the  amount  of 
chlorides  in  this  water  is  not  very  great  it  can  be  taken 
internally  with  advantage,  and,  according  to  the  dose, 
acts  as  a  purgative,  laxative,  or  alterative  ;  it  is  said  to 
exert  at  the  same  time  a  tonic  effect.  Externally  as 
baths  it  exerts  a  stimulating  action  on  the  skin  and  peri- 
pheral nerves  and  promotes  the  superficial  circulation. 


SECT.  B.]  BALARUC— BAREGES.  91 

It  is  administered  as  local  baths  (foot  bath),  as 
general  douches  to  produce  a  stimulating  effect  on 
the  nervous  and  circulatory  systems,  and  as  local 
douches  to  stimulate  a  particular  region  or  organ.  It 
is  used  also  as  a  lotion  (ophthalmias,  ulcers),  as  in- 
jections in  scrofulous  affections  (fistulse),  and  for 
gargling.  Mud  from  1'Etang,  treated  with  the 
thermal  water,  is  also  used  locally,  and  is  found  to 
be  a  very  energetic  stimulant. 

The  diseases  especially  treated  at  Balaruc  are 
torpid  diseases  (paralysis)  of  the  nervous  system, 
scrofulous  affections,  rheumatism,  uterine  affections 
in  the  lymphatic  and  scrofulous— the  use  of  the  baths 
and  uterine  douches,  together  with  the  applications 
of  the  mineral  mud,  are  reported  to  produce  remark- 
able results  in  uterine  fibromata.  The  water  is  used 
to  promote  healing  in  torpid  traumatic  conditions. 
Its  application  to  paralytic  states  is  limited  to  the 
period  when  all  the  acute  symptoms  have  passed 
away,  but  must  not  be  deferred  until  the  case  has 
become  very  chronic,  when  it  is  useless. 

Owing  to  its  nearness  to  large  towns  like  Cette 
and  Montpellier,  living  is  commodious  and  cheap. 
Season,  from  May  ist  to  Oct.  ist.  It  is  as  well 
to  avoid  the  great  heat  of  July  and  August. 

Bareges  (Hautes  Pyrenees)  can  be  reached  from 
Bagneres-de-Bigorre  by  a  very  beautiful  drive 
through  the  valley  of  Campan  and  over  the  Col  de 
Tourmalet — the  highest  carriage-road  in  the  Pyrenees, 
and  one  of  the  highest  in  Europe,  being  nearly  7,000 
feet  above  the  sea — but  this  would  take  five  hours, 
and  it  is  therefore  usually  approached  from  Luz.  It 
takes  nearly  an  hour  and  a-half  to  mount  the  four 
and  a-half  miles  of  gradual  and  continuous  ascent 
which  leads  from  Luz  to  Bareges.  In  traversing  this 
short  distance  we  pass  from  a  region  of  smiling 
pastoral  beauty,  of  green  pastures  and  wooded 
slopes,  to  one  of  almost  dreary  desolation.  Bareges, 
which  is  situated  at  an  elevation  of  about  4,000 


92  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I 

feet  above  the  sea,  is  a  little  town  in  a  barren 
situation  presenting  nothing  that  is  attractive  or 
picturesque.  "  The  landscape,"  says  M.  Taine,  "  is 
hideous,  it  looks  like  a  deserted  quarry."  The 
climate  is  very  variable,  great  heat  alternating 
frequently  with  sharp  cold.  Cold  mists  from  the 
surrounding  mountains  often  collect  over  the  valley, 
and  it  is  tormented  by  violent  winds.  It  is  un- 
inhabitable for  five  months  in  the  year,  when  it 
is  covered  with  fifteen  feet  of  snow.  "  II  faut  avoir 
beaucoup  de  sante  pour  y  guerir,"  M.  Taine  pleasantly 
remarks. 

Notwithstanding  the  dreariness  of  its  situation,  its 
thermal  sulphur  baths  enjoy  a  very  great  reputation  for 
the  cure  of  certain  maladies  :  especially  of  wounds  re- 
ceived in  battle,  of  chronic  articular  rheumatism,  of 
certain  forms  of  scrofula,  torpid  varicose  ulcers,  and 
of  all  kinds  of  diseases  of  the  bones  and  joints,  as  well 
as  some  forms  of  skin  disease  (as  at  Luchon),  and 
certain  local  paralyses.  It  is  especially  in  the  cure  of 
scrofulous  affections  of  the  bones,  joints,  glands,  skin, 
and  mucous  membranes,  and  particularly  of  affections 
of  the  bones,  that  it  has  gained  so  great  a  reputation. 
This  curative  influence  is  referred  to  its  stimulating 
action  on  the  circulatory  and  nervous  systems,  in 
which  no  doubt  the  bracing  mountain  climate  has 
a  great  share.  Syphilis  in  its  secondary  and  tertiary 
forms  is  largely  treated  here  in  combination  with 
the  use  of  specific  remedies,  as  at  Aix  la  Chapelle. 
Its  sulphur  springs  are  amongst  the  strongest  in  the 
Pyrenees,  or  rather  they  are  the  least  changeable, 
and  this  is  probably  the  reason  of  their  greater 
activity  ;  they  contain  sodium  sulphide  (0*04), 
chloride,  and  silicate,  and  are  rich  in  that  peculiar 
organic  substance  to  which  the  name  cf  barcgine 
has  been  given.  This  is  especially  the  case  at 
Barzun,  a  source  a  quarter  of  a  mile  below  Bareges. 
It  gives  to  the  water  a  particular  ttnctuosity,  A 
minute  amount  of  sodium  arsenate  is  said  to  exist  in 
the  Tambour  spring. 


SECT.  B.]  BAREGES^  93 

There  are  fifteen  springs  at  Bareges,  varying 
in  temperature  from  86°  to  112°  F.  The  waters 
are  taken  internally,  and  are  also  used  as  baths 
and  douches.  The  fine  bath  establishment,  built 
of  marble  from  the  Pyrenees,  contains  a  very 
complete  equipment — baths,  douches,  vapour  baths, 
foot  baths,  swimming  baths,  gargling  and  pulver- 
isation rooms,  etc.  There  is  also  a  much  smaller 
establishment  at  Barzun.  It  is  usual  to  begin  with 
the  springs  of  lower  temperature  and  increase 
gradually  to  the  higher  ones,  the  highest  being 
the  Tambour  (112°  F.).  Local  douches  of  this  tem- 
perature are  sometimes  given.  This  spring  (the 
Tambour)  is  the  one  chiefly  used  for  drinking,  and 
the  water  is  given  in  quite  small  doses,  often  mixed 
with  milk  or  whey.  The  season  begins  early  in  June, 
and  the  place  becomes  so  crowded  in  July  and  August 
that  patients  have  sometimes  to  wait  their  turns 
at  Luz  until  they  can  be  taken  in.  July,  August, 
and  September  are  the  best  months. 

Owing  to  the  repute  these  baths  have  always 
maintained  for  the  cure  of  injuries  received  in  the 
field  of  battle  a  State  military  hospital  has  existed 
there  since  1760.  The  place  also  possesses  a 
hospital  for  the  reception  of  nuns  and  priests, 
which  also,  from  Sept.  ist  to  Oct.  i5th,  receives 
poor  patients  who  are  kept  there  at  the  expense  of 
their  departement. 

It  is  from  Bareges  that  the  ascent  of  the  Pic  du 
Midi  de  Bigorre  is  usually  made,  one  of  the  finest 
points  of  view  in  the  Pyrenees.  Although  about 
9,300  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  the  summit  can 
be  reached  on  horseback,  and  in  about  three  and  a- 
half  hours  from  Bareges.  An  observatory  has  been 
established  there.  A  small  hotel,  where  food  and 
beds  can  be  obtained,  has  been  built  on  a  col 
about  i, 600  feet  below  the  summit. 

It  is  fourteen  hours  from  Paris  to  Bareges — 
rail  to  Pierrefitte — electric  railway  from  Pierrefitte 
to  Luz. 


94  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

Bath,  a  city  in  Somersetshire,  about  two  hours 
by  express  train  from  London,  owes  its  name  to 
the  possession  of  mineral  springs  which  may  be 
classed  amongst  the  simple  indifferent  thermal  baths, 
but  which  have  also  some  relationship,  by  their  com- 
position, to  the  group  of  earthy  calcareous  waters, 
represented  on  the  Continent  by  such  spas  as  Con- 
trexeville.  Weber  observes  that  the  Bath  springs  are 
"  the  only  really  hot  natural  waters  of  Great  Britain," 
but  the  springs  of  Buxton  are  warm,  although,  with 
a  temperature  of  82°  F.,  they  certainly  'cannot  be 
called  "  hot." 

The  history  of  the  Bath  thermal  waters  extends 
back  into  a  remote  and  uncertain  past,  but  wre  know 
from  monumental  evidences  of  the  most  remarkable 
and  interesting  nature  that  under  the  name  of  Aquae 
Sulis  it  was  a  place  of  great  resort  of  the  Roman 
conquerors  of  Britain.  The  very  perfect,  extensive, 
and  remarkable  remains  of  Roman  thermae  discovered 
at  Bath  testify  to  the  importance  that  wras  attached 
to  these  waters  by  the  ancient  Romans. 

Since  those  remote  times  Bath  has  undergone 
some  singular  vicissitudes,  but  if,  in  the  present  day, 
it  is  not  quite  the  same  fashionable  resort  it  was 
in  the  days  of  Beau  Nash,  it  is  certainly  a  far  better 
equipped  health  resort  than  it  w^as  then  or  at  any 
former  period  of  its  history  ;  while  its  usefulness  to 
suffering  humanity  has  been  enormously  increased  in 
recent  times  ;  for,  of  late  years,  its  resources  have 
been  intelligently  and  enterprisingly  developed  so  as 
to  bring  it  up  to  the  standard  of  the  most  advanced 
and  most  perfectly  equipped  of  Continental  spas. 

The  situation  of  this  city  is  a  picturesque  and 
attractive  one,  and  the  protection  afforded  it  by 
surrounding  hills  gives  it  a  mild  and  equable  climate. 
The  mean  summer  temperature  is  6ri°  F.,  and  the 
mean  winter  temperature  46*4°  F. ;  but  it  has  a 
rather  high  degree  of  humidify,  for  while  the  dry 
north-east  wands  are  "largely  intercepted  by  the 
surrounding  hills,"  it  is  exposed  to  the  moist  south- 


SECT.  B.]  BATH.  95 

west  winds  blowing  from  the  Bristol  Channel ;  "  the 
absolute  humidity  is  greatest  from  November  to 
March  and  least  from  April  to  August."  The 
average  rainfall  is  32*064  inches.  "  Autumn  is  the 
wettest,  and  spring  the  driest  season.  January, 
September,  and  October  are  the  wettest  months." 
The  spring  and  autumn  are  said  to  be  the  best 
seasons  for  the  cure,  the  months  of  April,  May, 
September,  and  October ;  but  the  baths  are  open 
all  the  year  round. 

Bath  has  three  hot  springs  which  are  utilised  for 
bathing,  etc. ;  they  are  alike  in  chemical  constitution, 
but  differ  in  temperature.  The  "  hot  bath "  has  a 
temperature  of  120°  F.,  the  King's  Bath  of  117°, 
and  the  Cross  Bath  of  104°. 

With  regard  to  the  constituents  of  the  springs, 
they  appear  to  contain  about  2*6  grammes  per  litre 
of  solid  constituents  ;  the  chief  of  these  is  calcium 
sulphate  (1*3),  there  are  smaller  amounts  of  sodium 
sulphate  (0*3),  of  sodium  and  magnesium  chloride 
(0*2  each),  of  potassium  sulphate  and  calcium  car- 
bonate (0*1).  There  is  a  minute  quantity  of  silica 
and  carbonate  of  iron  (o'oiS  of  the  latter). 

Some  importance  is  attached  by  certain  of  the 
local  authorities  to  the  amount  of  free  gases  con- 
tained in  the  water,  especially  the  nitrogen  ;  there  is 
also  a  small  amount  of  helium  and  of  argon  in  this 
as  in  similar  springs. 

The  water  of  these  springs  is  administered  both 
internally  and  externally,  and  there  are  several 
establishments  where  the  treatment  can  be  carried 
out. 

(1)  The  King's  and  Queen's  Public  and  Private 
Baths,  adjoining  the  Grand  Pump  Room.      Here  the 
Aix  les  Bains  douche-massage  methods  are  applied, 
as  well  as  the  ordinary  reclining  baths,  vapour  baths, 
etc.,  etc. 

(2)  The  Royal  Private   and   Hot  Baths.     Here 
also  there  are  private  reclining  and  immersion  baths, 
douches,  etc.,  and  a  tepid  swimming  bath. 


96  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

(3)  The  New  Royal  Private  and  Swimming  Bath, 
attached  to  the  Grand  Pump  Room  Hotel.      Here, 
again,  are  reclining  and  douche  baths,  needle  douches, 
and  a  large  swimming  bath. 

(4)  The  Cross  Bath,  which  is  a  cheap  public  bath. 
These  establishments  belong  to  the  Corporation. 

For  internal  use  there  is  a  fountain  in  the  Grand 
Pump  Room,  which  has  a  continuous  supply  of 
mineral  water,  coming  straight  from  the  spring  at 
a  temperature  of  114°  F.  When  this  water  is  cooled 
the  iron  is  precipitated,  and  this  cooled  water  is 
considered  more  suitable  to  certain  cases  than  the 
hotter  water  with  the  iron  in  it. 

Large  quantities  of  the  water  are  not  ordered  to 
be  drunk  as  was  at  one  time  the  custom,  four  to 
eight  ounces  twice  a  day  being  all  that  is  prescribed 
in  many  cases,  but  where  a  decided  eliminative  action 
is  desired— especially  by  the  kidneys  in  uric  acid 
cases — larger  quantities  of  the  cooled  water  would 
certainly  be  advantageous. 

For  the  external  use  of  these  waters,  the  arrange- 
ments are  very  elaborate  and  complete.  Separate 
immersion  baths  of  a  temperature  of  98°  to  104°  F., 
combined  with  what  is  known  as  a  wet  or  under-water 
douche  of  a  higher  temperature,  which  can  be  directed 
upon  any  definite  part  of  the  body,  are  found  to  be 
a  very  efficacious  method  of  treatment  in  some  cases. 

For  patients  requiring  a  reclining  bath,  arrange- 
ments exist  whereby  they  can  be  lowered  into  the 
bath  without  any  effort  on  their  part. 

Douches  of  various  kinds — needle,  ascending,  rose, 
and  spinal  douches — varying  in  temperature  from 
1 00°  to  105°,  or  colder,  if  thought  desirable,  can  be 
applied  generally  or  locally. 

The  Aix  les  Bains  douche-massage  method  has 
already  been  described.  This  is  very  thoroughly 
carried  out  at  Bath.  Suitable  "cooling"  rooms  are 
connected  with  this  and  other  bathing  methods. 

Sprays  and  pulverisations  for  the  treatment  of 
catarrhal  affections  of  the  pharynx  and  respiratory 


SECT.  B.]  BATH.  97 

passages  are  also  provided  in  "  the  umbrella  "  spray 
chamber.  Berthollet  local  vapour  baths,  the  vapour 
coming  direct  from  the  springs,  and  what  is  known 
as  the  "  bouillon  "  or  general  vapour  bath,  the  vapour 
emanating  also  from  the  springs  and  common  to 
many  patients,  are  frequently  used. 

It  is  needless  to  enter  here  into  further  detail,  as 
the  application  and  selection  of  the  particular  method 
best  suited  to  individual  cases  must  necessarily  be 
left  to  the  experience,  skill,  and  judgment  of  the  local 
physicians. 

The  period  of  time  during  which  the  treatment 
should  be  applied  must  depend  also  on  the  nature  ot 
the  case  and  the  progress  made ;  it  is  usually  estimated 
at  from  three  to  eight  weeks. 

Certain  forms  of  " medicated"  baths  are  prepared 
at  Bath,  and  prescribed  in  suitable  cases,  such  as  the 
sulphur  bath  for  cutaneous  affections,  the  "  pine " 
bath  for  cases  of  neurasthenia,  and  the  gaseous  "  Sool- 
bad "  (Nauheim  bath)  for  some  forms  of  cardiac 
debility.  An  artificial  table  water,  the  "  Sulis  water/' 
is  made  at  Bath  by  aerating  the  natural  mineral 
water  with  carbonic  acid  gas. 

Finally,  as  to  the  cases  best  suited  for  treatment : 
Chronic  gouty  and  rheumatic  affections,  articular, 
muscular,  or  neuralgic,  form  the  vast  majority  of  the 
cases  treated  with  benefit  at  Bath.  The  eliminative 
action  of  the  waters,  by  stimulating  the  intestinal  and 
renal  excretions  when  taken  internally,  and  by  stimu- 
lating the  cutaneous  excretions  by  their  external 
action,  and  the  valuable  effects  of  passive  movements 
in  restoring  suppleness  to  stiffened  and  rigid  parts  and 
in  promoting  the  removal  of  crippling  exudations, 
afford  an  obvious  explanation  of  the  beneficial  results 
obtained.  In  cases  of  irregular  gout,  and  in  gouty 
cases  between  the  attacks,  a  course  of  treatment  at 
Bath  has  been  found  most  serviceable. 

As  to  the  treatment  of  cases  of  osteo-ar thrifts,  or 
rheumatoid  arthritis,  at  Bath,  much  difference  of 
opinion  exists,  and  this  we  think  depends  greatly  on 


98  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

the  variations  in  the  manner  of  classifying  the 
different  forms  of  arthritis  prevailing  with  different 
physicians.  Those  who  limit  the  term  "  rheumatoid 
arthritis  "  to  cases  which  we  should  be  disposed  to 
term  cases  of  true  osteo-arthritis,  and  which  appear 
to  have  a  neurotic  origin,  find  the  treatment  by 
thermal  waters,  at  Bath  or  elsewhere,  of  little  use, 
and,  indeed,  sometimes  injurious,  especially  in  the 
more  acute  forms.  (The  chronic  forms  are,  no  doubt, 
more  or  less  benefited  by  gentle  douching  and 
massage,  and  by  such  means  a  certain  amount  of 
movement  may  be  restored,  and  muscular  wasting 
checked.)  Others  who  certainly  include  under  the 
term  "  rheumatoid  "  arthritis  cases  which  appear  to 
us  to  be  more  or  less  distinct  from  true  osteo-arthritic 
ones,  and  whose  real  affinities  are  with  those  of 
chronic  gout  and  rheumatism,  find,  as  we  should  expect, 
much  better  results  from  this  treatment  at  Bath. 

As  to  the  treatment  of  rheumatic  cardiac  valvular 
affections  at  Bath,  we  are  not  ourselves  convinced, 
by  anything  we  have  been  able  to  see,  that  such 
cases  obtain  greatly  better  results  from  treatment  at 
thermal  baths  than  from  other  and  more  simple 
hygienic  measures. 

Certain  dry  forms  of  skin  disease  derive  benefit 
from  prolonged  maceration  in  natural  thermal  waters. 
Such  cases  may  find  relief  at  Bath. 

Cases  of  chronic  lead  poisoning  and  some  other 
forms  of  paralysis,  and  some  cases  of  multiple  neuritis, 
are  benefited.  Traumatic  joint  affections  are  very 
suitable  for  treatment  by  the  methods  in  use  at  Bath. 

Other  diseases  have  been  mentioned  as  benefited 
by  treatment  with  the  Bath  waters,  such  as  anaemia, 
diabetes,  some  uterine  affections,  chronic  gastritis, 
biliary  colic,  etc.,  but  we  have  no  authoritative 
information  to  convey  under  these  heads. 

Battaglia  (in  the  province  of  Venice,  Italy) 
is  celebrated  for  its  mud  (fango)  and  feebly 
mineralised  thermal  springs  containing  a  small 


SECT.  B.I  BATTAGLIA.  99 

amount  of  sodium  chloride.  They  are  usually 
classified  amongst  the  indifferent  thermal  springs. 
The  total  mineralisation  is  2-36,  of  which  1-5  is 
common  salt ;  there  are  also  small  amounts  of 
potassium  and  calcium  chlorides,  and  traces  of 
sodium  iodide  and  magnesium  bromide.  Battaglia 
lies  in  a  plain  at  the  foot  of  the  Euganean  Moun- 
tains, and  has  a  station  on  the  line  between  Bologna 
and  Padua,  about  thirty  miles  from  Venice.  The 
baths  are  open  all  the  year,  but  the  best  season  is 
from  May  to  October. 

It  has  grottoes,  or  caves,  in  part  artificially  ex- 
cavated in  the  rocks,  where  natural  vapour  baths 
at  a  temperature  of  110°  to  116°  F.  can  be  obtained. 
There  are  four  hot  springs  of  a  temperature  varying 
from  136°  to  1 60°  F.  Some  resemblance  has  been 
thought  to  exist  between  these  springs  and  those 
of  Baden-Baden. 

The  mud  or  fango  is  collected  from  small  steam- 
ing pools  or  lakes  which  u  vomit  a  volcanic  mud." 
This  is  collected  and  not  only  used  at  Battaglia, 
but  exported  to  many  other  parts,  and  is  especially 
utilised  at  Bex,  in  Switzerland,  and  in  Berlin..  In 
some  cases  the  whole  body  is  enveloped  in  a  layer  ot 
hot  mud — this  usually  produces  profuse  perspiration 
—in  other  cases  only  the  limb  affected  is  thus 
treated. 

Cases  of  chronic  gout  and  rheumatism,  and  cases 
also  of  rheumatoid  arthritis,  are  treated  there. 
Special  arrangements  also  exist  for  the  inhalation 
of  the  pulverised  thermal  water  in  cases  of  chronic 
bronchial  catarrh. 

Berchtesgaden,  having  common  salt  wells,  is 
beautifully  situated  in  the  Bavarian  Tyrol,  close  to 
the  Austrian  frontier,  and  only  a  short  distance 
(omnibus  or  steam  tram)  from  Salzburg.  It  is  a  well- 
known  summer  health  resort  much  frequented  by 
tourists  on  account  of  its  natural  beauties,  pleasant 
situation,  and  good  accommodation,  and  also  for 


ioo  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

its  nearness  to  the  celebrated  Konigssee  and  the 
salt  mines.  It  has  a  brine  containing  26 \  per  cent, 
of  common  salt.  Rachitic  and  scrofulous  conditions 
are  especially  treated  there,  so  also  are  chronic 
catarrhal  conditions  of  the  respiratory  passages. 
It  is  also  sometimes  prescribed  as  a  restful  after- 
cure  following  treatment  at  the  more  active 
Bohemian  and  other  spas.  Its  climate  is  mild,  but 
not  bracing,  although  its  altitude  is  1,890  feet,  for  it 
is  much  shut  in  by  surrounding  mountains. 

Bertrich  is  romantically  situated  at  an  elevation 
of  530  feet  in  one  of(  the  valleys  of  the  Moselle, 
a  few  miles  from  that  river,  and  seven  miles 
from  the  station  of  Bullay  on  the  line  between 
Treves  and  Coblenz.  It  is  sometimes  spoken  of  as 
"the  mild  Carlsbad,"  because  it  has  warm  springs 
containing  the  same  characteristic  constituents 
(sodium  sulphate  and  carbonate)  as  the  great 
Bohemian  spa,  but  of  only  about  one-third  the' 
strength,  and  of  much  lower  temperature  than  the 
hotter  springs  of  Carlsbad. 

Its  two  springs,  the  Gartenquelle  and  the 
Borgquelle,  are  conveyed  into  one  channel  and  are 
used  mixed.  The  temperature  of  the  mixed  springs 
is  about  90°  to  92°  F.  Their  total  content  of  solids 
is  2*24  per  litre,  of  which  sodium  sulphate  forms 
0*886,  sodium  bicarbonate  0*728,  and  sodium  chloride 
0*218.  There  are  also  small  amounts  of  carbonate 
of  lime  and  magnesium,  and  minute  quantities  of 
iron  and  manganese.  The  water  also  contains  free 
carbonic  acid  gas. 

The  waters  are  both  drunk  and  used  as  baths.  The 
baths  are  given  either  at  the  natural  temperature 
of  the  springs,  or  raised  to  a  higher  temperature  by 
means  which  are  devised  to  prevent  the  loss  of  the 
carbonic  acid  gas.  The  baths  are  also  given  with 
running  water,  so  that  a  constant  temperature  is 
maintained  during  a  bath  which  may  last  for  half 
an  hour. 


SECT.  B.I  BERTRICH— BEX,  101 

The  affections  considered  most  suitable  for  treat- 
ment at  Bertrich  are  of  the  same  nature  as  those 
treated  at  Carlsbad,  but  in  delicate,  nervous  persons 
who  require  very  mild  remedies,  and  who  prefer 
the  very  quiet  and  simpler  life  of  the  smaller  spa. 
Cases  of  neurasthenia  are  found  to  be  much  soothed 
and  benefited  by  the  baths  ;  cases  of  functional 
hepatic  and  gastric  disorders,  gallstones,  lithaemia, 
obesity  in  the  feeble  and  anaemic,  diabetes — these  are 
the  chief  maladies  adapted  for  treatment  at  this  spa. 

Chronic  gouty  and  rheumatic  affections  are 
claimed  by  every  bath,  and  no  doubt  most  such 
cases  are  benefited  by  eliminant  springs  and  the 
free  skin  excretions  which  hot  alkaline  baths  pro- 
mote. Bertrich  is  very  accessible,  as  it  can  be 
reached  either  from  Coblenz  or  Treves  in  two  to 
three  hours. 

The  season  is  from  the  beginning  of  May  to  the 
end  of  September. 

Bex  is  a  well-known  resort,  familiar  to  most 
visitors  to  Switzerland,  situated  at  the  opening  of  the 
Rhone  valley,  on  the  right  bank  of  that  river,  a  few 
miles  from  the  east  end  of  the  Lake  of  Geneva, 
and  with  very  grand  and  picturesque  surroundings. 
It  is  a  climate  resort  as  well  as  a  bathing  station. 
At  an  elevation  of  1,400  feet,  its  climate  is  mild  and 
sedative  rather  than  tonic.  It  is  very  hot  in  the 
summer  months,  and  mosquitos  abound.  In  winter, 
owing  to  the  height  and  nearness  of  the  neighbour- 
ing mountains,  the  hours  of  sunshine  are  very 
limited,  during  the  shortest  days  not  longer 
than  from  1 1  a.m.  to  2  p.m. ;  this,  together 
with  wide  daily  oscillations  of  temperature,  renders 
the  place  unsuitable  as  a  winter  resort,  although 
it  is  well  protected  from  cold  winds,  except 
those  coming  from  the  north-west  over  the  Lake 
of  Geneva,  and  from  the  south  (the  Fohn).  The 
spring  (May  and  June)  and  autumn  (September 
and  October)  are  the  best  climatic  seasons  at  Bex. 


102  MINERAL    SPRINGS-.  [PART  i. 

The  adjacency  of  salt-works  has  provided  Bex 
with  a  strong  salt  spring,  St.  Helene  "  eau  salee,"  and 
an  "  eau  mere/'  which  is  derived  from  the  evapora- 
tions of  the  former  after  as  much  of  the  common  salt 
as  can  be  is  separated.  It  has  also  a  cold  sulphur 
water  which  is  used  as  an  auxiliary  to  the  other 
sources.  The  mud  (fait go)  from  Battaglia  near 
Padua  has  been  added  to  the  therapeutic  re- 
sources at  Bex.  Admirable  arrangements  also 
exist  there  for  the  application  of  ordinary  spring 
water  in  accordance  with  the  usual  methods  of  hydro- 
therapy.  It  is,  further,  a  station  in  autumn  for  the 
grape  cure.  Bex  is  therefore  a  kind  of  invalids' 
compendium,  where  kinds  of  treatment  suitable  to 
a  great  variety  of  maladies  can  be  applied. 

The  "  eau  salee "  is  rich  in  sodium  chloride, 
—  156-668  grammes  in  a  litre,  and  3*731  of  potassium 
and  magnesium  chlorides.  It  contains  also  calcium, 
magnesium  and  strontium  sulphates,  magnesium  car- 
bonate, and  small  amounts  of  lithium  chloride  and 
magnesium  iodide  and  bromide.  The  "  eau  mere," 
by  evaporation  and  the  separation  and  removal  of 
sodium  chloride,  is  rendered  much  richer  in  the  other 
less,  crystallisabie  ingredients — the  sodium  chloride 
is  reduced  to  33*92  grammes,  whereas  the  other 
chlorides  (magnesium,  calcium,  and  potassium)  are 
increased  to  221*81,  the  calcium  sulphate  to  35*49; 
and  the  magnesium  bromide  and  iodide  to  073. 

The  baths  at  Bex  are  prepared  by  diluting  in 
various  degrees  the  "  eau  salee "  with  plain  water 
and  adding  various  quantities  of  "  eau  mere,"  accord- 
ing to  the  case.  They  are  reported  to  have  tonic 
and  stimulating  effects,  and  occasionally  they  prove 
too  exciting  to  nervous  persons  and  have  to  be 
suspended  or  modified.  Children  bear  them  well, 
especially  when  given  in  the  warm  season. 

The  "  eau  mere  "is  also  used  as  compresses,  in- 
halations, pulverisations,  and  nasal  douches,  and  is 
given  internally  in  small  doses,  beginning  with 
one  or  two  teaspoonfuls  and  increasing  to  two  or 


SECT.  B.]  BEX—BORMIO-.  103 

three  table-spoonfuls  in  soup,  or  in  effervescing  or 
plain  water.  The  sulphur  water  is  comparatively 
feebly  mineralised,  but  contains  sodium  chloride 
(2-334  grammes  in  a  litre)  and  is  fairly  rich  in  free 
sulphuretted  hydrogen  ;  it  is  given  internally  in  doses 
of  half  a  glass  to  two  glasses,  and  is  used  for 
gargling,  pulverisation,  nasal  douches,  and  baths. 

Like  other  resorts  of  this  class,  Bex  is  especially 
indicated  in  scrofulous  maladies — the  torpid  and 
the  febrile  forms  are  treated  somewhat  differently, 
careful  medical  direction  and  discrimination  being 
all  important  to  the  success  of  the  cure  ;  scrofulous 
glands,  abscesses,  inflammation  of  the  eyelids, 
diseases  of  the  bones  and  joints,  rickets,  skin 
affections,  are  all  adapted  to  this  treatment  Chronic 
pleuritic  exudations  and  tendencies  to  bronchial 
catarrh,  anaemia  and  chlorosis,  nervous  affections, 
neurasthenia,  chorea,  uterine  affections,  metritis, 
perimetritis,  periuterine  exudations,  are  all  regarded 
as  capable  of  amelioration  by  one  or  other  forms  of 
treatment  applied  at  Bex.  The  Grand  Hotel  des 
Salines  is  admirably  equipped  for  the  administration 
of  these  waters  and  baths. 

Those  who  desire  to  try  treatment  by  the  mud 
(fango)  applications  from  Battaglia  will  find  Bex  a 
convenient  place  for  that  purpose.  It  is  suitable  for 
cases  of  chronic  rheumatism  and  articular  gout,  as 
well  as  to  the  other  maladies  treated  at  Bex. 

Bormio  is  an  Italian  mountain  resort  situated 
at  the  foot  of  the  celebrated  Stelvio  Pass,  on  its 
southern  slope,  at  an  elevation  of  4,500  feet  and  at 
the  head  of  the  Valtellina.  It  has  five  hot  springs 
belonging  to  the  class  of  simple  thermal  waters, 
the  hottest  of  which  has  a  temperature  of  104°  F. 
The  water  is  very  feebly  mineralised,  containing  only 
i -o  gramme  of  solids  to  the  litre,  chiefly  composed 
of  calcium  and  magnesium  sulphates  and  carbonates. 
A  thin,  dark-coloured,  unctuous  mud  is  deposited  by 
the  springs,  and  this  is  used  for  local  applications 


104  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

and  for  mixing  with  the  baths.  The  "  new  "  bath- 
house is  conveniently  fitted  up  for  baths,  mud  baths, 
douches,  inhalations,  etc.  The  "  old  "  bath-house  is 
situated  200  feet  higher  than  the  new  one.  The 
cases  benefited  by  treatment  at  Bormio  are  those 
forms  of  chronic  articular  rheumatism  and  gout,  and 
other  manifestations  of  the  uric  acid  diathesis,  which 
require  moderately  bracing  mountain*  air  as  an 
adjuvant  to  bath  treatment.  Some  forms  of  chronic 
skin  disease  also  are  benefited.  The  treatment  is 
especially  useful  when  the  above  morbid  mani- 
festations are  associated  with  neurasthenic  conditions 
or  a  scrofulous  constitution.  Anaemic  cases  are  often 
benefited  by  drinking,  at  Bormio,  the  waters  of  the 
neighbouring  chalybeate  spring  of  Santa  Catarina. 

Bormio  is  also  a  climate  resort,  and  is  sometimes 
of  value,  as  a  change,  for  those  who  find  the  climate 
of  the  Engadine  too  severe  and  yet  require  the 
bracing  influence  of  mountain  air.  Sudden  varia- 
tions in  temperature  have  to  be  provided  against ; 
hence  the  need  of  warm  clothing. 

The  situation  of  Bormio  is  not  very  attractive — 
the  immediately  surrounding  country  has  a  barren 
aspect,  and  the  background  of  reddish,  bare,  hot- 
looking  mountains  of  uniform  sugarloaf  form  is  not 
picturesque.  The  place  is,  however,  close  to  fine 
scenery,  as  it  is  only  seven  miles  from  Santa  Catarina  in 
the  beautiful  Val  Furva.  Bormio  may  be  approached 
from  the  direction  of  the  Lake  of  Como  and  the 
Valtellina.  It  is  a  nine  or  ten  hours'  drive  from  the 
station  of  Sondrio,  the  terminus  ot  the  Valtellina 
railway.  Or  it  may  be  reached  from  Samaden  or 
Pontresina  in  the  Engadine  by  a  long  drive  over  the 
Bernina  Pass  to  Tirano,  and  then  up  the  Valtellina. 
It  is  usual  to  sleep  on  the  way  at  Le  Prese  or  Tirano. 
Finally  it  may  be  approached  from  the  direction  of 
MeranorLandeckbythefine  road  over  the  Stelvio Pass. 

Boulou  (Le)  is  situated  in  the  Pyrenees  Orientales, 
about  twenty  hours  from  Paris  via  Perpignan  ;  its 


SECT.  B.]      BOU LOU— BOURBON    LANCY-.  105 

station  is  only  a  few  miles  from  the  Spanish  frontier. 
It  is  about  270  feet  above  the  sea,  and  has  a  very 
mild  climate.  It  has  four  mineral  springs  varying 
in  temperature  from  60°  to  67°  F.  They  are  some- 
what analogous  in  composition  to  the  waters  of 
Vichy  and  Vals,  one  of  the  springs  having  nearly 
six  grammes  of  bicarbonate  of  soda  per  litre.  These 
are  the  only  waters  of  that  kind  found  in  the 
Pyrenees.  Iron  and  arsenic,  in  small  quantities, 
occur  in  one  or  more  of  the  sources.  The  waters  are 
chiefly  used  for  drinking,  but  baths  and  douches  can 
also  be  obtained  in  the  Etablissement. 

The  maladies  treated  there  are  dyspepsias,  gastric 
and  intestinal ;  gastralgias,  chronic  intestinal  catarrh  ; 
hepatic  torpor,  gallstones,  uric  acid  gravel,  gout, 
diabetes,  malarial  cachexia  and  enlargements  of  liver 
and  spleen  resulting  from  residence  in  the  tropics, 
anaemia  and  chlorosis  associated  with  dyspepsia.  It 
has  a  military  hospital. 

There  are  many  picturesque  excursions  in  the 
country  around.  There  is  a  hotel  in  the  Etablisse- 
ment. It  may  be  frequented  at  any  part  of  the  year. 

Bourbon  Lancy  (Department  of  Saone  et  Loire), 
in  Central  France,  has  weakly  mineralised  thermal 
salt  springs.  It  is  reached  from  Paris  (226  miles)  in 
seven  and  a-half  hours  by  the  Bourbonnais  line  via 
Nevers  and  Cercy  la  Tour.  It  has  a  station  in  the 
town.  It  is  built  on  the  slope  of  a  hill,  at  an  altitude 
of  780  feet,  with  steep  granite  rocks  rising  above  it. 
It  is  protected  from  winds  and  has  a  temperate, 
moderately  warm  climate. 

Fine  views  of  the  mountainous  country  around 
(mountains  of  Morvan)  can  be  obtained  from  the 
summits  of  adjacent  hills. 

The  springs,  of  which  there  are  five,  have 
a  temperature  varying  from  105°  to  136°  F. 
Their  mineralisation  is  feeble,  the  total  amount 
of  solids  being  only  1*80  per  litre,  of  which 
1-30  consists  of  sodium  chloride.  There  is  a  small 
E* 


106  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

amount  of  mixed  bicarbonates,  and  minute  quantities 
of  iodine,  arsenic,  manganese,  and  lithium.  They 
also  contain  free  nitrogen  and  carbonic  acid 
gases. 

These  waters  are  taken  internally  (the  Sources 
La  Reine  and  Descures),  16  to  20  ounces  daily, 
divided  into  three  doses,  taken  at  different  times. 
But  it  is  mainly  their  external  use  that  is  relied 
upon  for  their  beneficial  effect.  They  are  given  as 
baths,  often  followed  by  "  submarine "  douches ; 
i.e.  douches  applied  beneath  the  surface  of  the 
water;  also  as  " Scotch"  (hot  and  cold  alternately) 
douches,  as  general  and  local  vapour  baths,  irriga- 
tions, pulverisations,  etc.  These  external  applications 
stimulate  the  peripheral  circulation  and  promote  the 
eliminant  action  of  the  skin,  setting  up,  as  they 
usually  do,  profuse  perspiration.  They  promote  the 
disappearance  of  rheumatic  (subacute  or  chronic)  or 
other  exudations  in  and  about  the  joints ;  while 
they  also  exert  a  sedative  or  calming  influence,  which 
has  been  referred  by  some  to  the  presence  of  free 
nitrogen  in  the  springs  and  by  others  to  the  climate. 
Taken  internally  half  an  hour  before  food  they 
improve  the  appetite,  and  taken  an  hour  after  food 
they  quicken  and  facilitate  digestion.  They  thus 
prove  valuable  in  atonic  dyspepsia.  The  Descures 
source  has  a  slightly  laxative  effect. 

The  waters  also  promote  renal  elimination — 
uric  acid  and  the  acid  urates — in  the  gouty  and 
rheumatic. 

The  bath  establishment  is  furnished  with  every 
convenience  and  appliance  for  carrying  out  the 
most  modern  methods  of  balneology,  including  a 
large  swimming  bath  fed  by  the  overflow  of  the 
thermal  springs,  and  appliances  for  mechanical 
movements  and  Swedish  gymnastics  and  the  Herz 
apparatus  for  respiratory  gymnastics,  to  promote 
chest  development  in  children,  and  augment  the 
cardiac  muscular  tone  in  others. 

The  following    are    the    maladies  treated  with 


SECT.  B.]  BOURBON    LANCY.  107 

advantage  at  Bourbon  Lancy :  chronic  or  sub- 
acute  and  still  painful  rheumatic  arthritis  in  excitable, 
nervous  patients,  chronic  articular  gout,  gouty  neuritis 
and  threatened  arteritis,  sciatica,  rheumatoid  arthritis 
(said  to  be  much  benefited  by  the  sedative  influence 
of  these  baths). 

Some  forms  of  cardiac  disease  are  reported  to  be 
favourably  influenced  by  treatment  there,  by  its 
combination  of  resources  --  baths,  "submarine" 
douches,  the  internal  use  of  the  waters,  and  dietetic 
and  mechanical  treatment. 

The  cardiac  affections  susceptible  of  amelioration 
by  this  treatment  have  been  thus  summarised  : 
"  valvular  insufficiencies  at  their  commencement,  i.e. 
about  six  months  after  the  beginning  of  the  endo- 
carditis ;  cardiac  affections  at  the  onset  of  failure 
of  compensation  ;  functional  insufficiencies  ;  mitral 
constriction,  with  or  without  arhythmic  palpitations  ; 
arterial  affections,  at  the  period  of  heightened  tension, 
and  cardiac  disturbances  of  renal  origin  with  dyspnoea 
due  to  alimentary  toxins  ;  finally,  functional  troubles  ; 
fatty  accumulations  about  the  heart ;  palpitations 
of  peripheral  origin  due  to  vascular  spasm ;  cardiac 
disturbances  during  growth  with  malformed  thorax  ; 
pseudo-anginas  and  the  unstable  pulse  of  the 
neurotic."* 

The  season  is  from  May  i5th  to  Oct.  isth. 
June  and  July  are  the  best  months.  Bourbon  Lancy 
has  a  hospital  for  the  indigent,  with  400  beds. 
There  are  excellent  hotels  at  moderate  prices,  and 
accommodation  can  also  be  obtained  in  the  bath 
establishment.  Many  interesting  excursions  can  be 
made  in  the  neighbourhood. 

Bourbon  1'Archambaut,  with  thermal  common 
salt  waters,  is  situated  in  Central  France,  about  six 
and  a-half  hours  by  express  train  from  Paris.  It 

*  "  Stations  Hydro-Minerales  de  la  France."     Re'dige  par 
La  Social  d'Hydrologie  Medicale  de  Paris. 


io8  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

has  a  station  on  the  line  from  Paris  to  Lyons  by 
the  Bourbonnais  on  the  branch  from  Moulins.  It 
is  situated  in  a  valley,  in  the  Department  of  the 
Allier,  between  four  steep  hills,  at  an  elevation  of 
800  feet  above  the  sea.  The  Bourbon  waters  have 
a  very  ancient  reputation,  and  were  known  and 
employed  at  the  time  of  the  Roman  occupation. 
Louis  XIV.  often  came  to  these  baths,  and  Madame 
de  Montespan  passed  the  last  twelve  years  of  her 
life  at  Bourbon,  and  died  there.  Many  other 
notabilities  have  been  associated  with  it. 

Its  most  important  spring  is  the  Source  Thermale 
(temperature  125°  F.).  This  spring  contains  2*24 
of  sodium  chloride  per  litre,  1*33  of  mixed  bicar- 
bonates  of  sodium,  potassium,  manganese,  and  iron  ; 
minute  quantities  of  silica,  bromide  and  chloride 
of  sodium ;  traces  of  arsenic,  lithium,  and  copper, 
and  free  carbonic  acid  gas.  It  has  also  a  cold  spring, 
Jonas,  used  for  drinking,  which  contains  carbonate 
of  iron  and  magnesium.  A  third  spring,  the 
Pardoux,  silicated  and  containing  much  free  carbonic 
acid,  makes  an  excellent  table-water. 

The  thermal  water  is  taken  internally  in  doses 
varying  from  one  to  four  glasses  daily.  It  is 
employed  externally  in  baths  of  running  water, 
varying  in  temperature  and  duration,  the  average 
temperature  being  95°  F. ;  also  as  tepid,  hot,  and  very 
hot  douches,  general  or  local,  following  the  bath, 
and  with  or  without  massage  ;  also  as  "  submarine," 
ascending,  and  irrigating  douches.  Applied  in  these 
ways,  either  for  its  general  effects  or  for  its  local 
action,  it  exerts  a  powerful  alterative,  tonic,  and 
stimulating  influence  on  the  nutritive  functions. 

There  is  at  Bourbon  a  civil  hospital  for  poor 
patients,  and  an  important  military  hospital. 

An  admirable  bath  establishment  has  been 
provided  by  the  State  for  carrying  out  these 
methods  of  treatment.  It  is  one  of  the  finest  and 
most  complete  in  France  ;  having  two  large  swim- 
ming baths  and  a  department  for  vapour  baths  and 


SECT.  B.I      BOURBON    L1ARCHAMBAUT-.  109 

pulverisations,  besides  the  various  other  forms  of 
baths  and  douches  already  referred  to. 

A  speciality  at  Bourbon  is  a  peculiar  mode  ot 
dry-cupping,  used  in  addition  to  massage,  and  con- 
sisting in  the  application  of  small  "  cornets "  or 
"  horns/'  with  holes  pierced  at  the  ends ;  these 
are  applied  to  the  skin  by  attendants,  who  suck 
out  the  air  and  then  close  the  holes  with  wax. 

The  chief  maladies  treated  at  Bourbon  are — 
Chronic  rheumatism,  following  the  acute  affection, 
with  stiffness  or  partial  ankylosis  of  joints  or 
effusion  into  them ;  also  the  effects  of  gonorrhceal 
rheumatism,  all  forms  of  muscular  rheumatism 
or  neuralgia.  Recent  rheumatic  endo-carditic  or 
pericarditic  lesions  are  favourably  influenced  by 
the  treatment  here,  as  at  Bourbon  Lancy.  The 
treatment  is  very  useful  also  in  neuralgias,  inter- 
costal and  sciatic  in  particular.  Excellent  results 
are  said  to  be  obtained  in  cases  of  arthritis  deformans, 
also  in  the  joint  troubles  of  atonic  gout  in  the  feeble 
and  lymphatic,  and  in  gouty  diabetics  with  nervous 
depression  and  lowered  vitality. 

Bourbon  has  a  traditional  reputation  for  the 
treatment  of  scrofulous  affections  of  the  glands, 
joints,  and  bones.  It  also  has  an  ancient  reputation 
for  the  treatment  of  certain  cases  of  paralysis ;  it 
is  particularly  useful  in  those  following  infective 
fevers  and  intoxications,  and  those  of  rheumatic 
origin.  Cases  of  hemiplegia,  the  result  of  cerebral 
haemorrhage,  it  is  claimed,  are  much  benefited  if  sent 
there  for  treatment  after  the  inflammatory  period 
and  before  muscular  atrophies  and  contractures  have 
set  in  ;  the  same  is  asserted  of  paraplegias,  rheu- 
matismal,  hysterical,  or  traumatic  (concussions  of  the 
spinal  cord),  and  of  some  forms  of  myelitis ;  it  is 
said  also  to  modify  favourably  the  course  of  tabes, 
and  to  relieve  its  painful  symptoms.  If  applied 
combined  with  the  usual  specific  treatment  it  is 
found  to  exert  a  very  favourable  influence  in  syphilis 
of  the  nervous  system. 


no  MINERAL    SPR7NGS:  [PART  i. 

The  excellent  results  obtained  in  the  military 
hospital  testify  to  the  value  of  this  treatment  in 
various  forms  of  traumatism.  '  Finally,  many  .affec- 
tions of  the  female  pelvic  organs  are  benefited  at 
Bourbon  ;  such  as  amenorrhcea,  dysmenorrhcea, 
rheumatic  metritis,  and  old  thickenings  and  adhesions 
from  perimetritis. 

The  season  is  from  May  15111  to  Oct.  ist.  There 
is  a  casino  with  theatre  in  the  park.  Hotel  accom- 
modation is  good  and  prices  are  moderate.  Many 
interesting  excursions  can  be  made  into  the  sur- 
rounding forests. 

Bourbonne  les  Bains,  situated  on  the  confines  of 
the  Vosges,  is  a  very  important  spa,  and  is  often 
spoken  of  as  the  French  Wiesbaden.  One  of  the 
largest  military  hospitals  in  France  is  established 
there,  affording  accommodation  for  310  soldiers  and 
90  officers.  Its  springs  are  hot  sodium  chloride 
springs,  and  their  special  application  is  the  treatment 
of  chronic  rheumatism  ;  also  the  results  of  gun-shot 
and  other  injuries,  and  " scrofulous"  affections. 

Bourbonne  is  a  small,  pleasant  town  in  the 
Department  of  the  Haute  Marne,  about  800  feet 
above  the  sea-level,  in  a  fine  situation  on  an 
eminence  abutting  from  Les  Monts  Faucilles,  and 
surrounded  by  low  hills  covered  by  dense  forests. 
It  is  about  seven  hours  from  Paris,  and  is  connected 
by  a  branch  line  with  Vitrey,  a  station  on  the 
Eastern  Railway  between  Langres  and  Bel  fort.  The 
little  town  is  exceedingly  French.  The  life  there 
is  simple  and  cheap.  The  inhabitants  appear  cheer- 
ful and  prosperous ;  they  manufacture  lace  and 
cutlery,  and  they  hunt  the  wolf  and  the  wild  boar 
in  their  adjacent  forests. 

A  small  park,  a  casino,  a  theatre,  a  band  of 
music,  a  jeu  de  pelits  chevaux  are  here,  as  elsewhere, 
essential  distractions  to  a  course  of  mineral  waters. 

The  springs  of  Bourbonne  are  hot  and  salt — 
thermal  and  saline.  The  temperature  of  the 


SECT.  B.]        BOURBONNE   LES   BAINS,  lit 

principal  springs  is  as  high  as  150°  F.,  and  there 
are  others  not  quite  so  hot.  The  water  has  a 
very  salt  taste,  and  is  considered  to  resemble  that 
at  Wiesbaden. 

It  is  drunk  only  in  small  quantities,  two  to  four 
small  glasses  a  day ;  but  is  used  chiefly  in  the  form 
of  baths  and  douches.  They  are  very  proud  of  their 
douches  at  Bourbonne,  and  consider  them  superior 
to  all  others.  Mineral  mud  is  also  employed 
there. 

The  applications  of  electricity  and  of  massage 
are  used  here  as  adjuncts  to  the  thermal  treatment, 
but  they  consider  their  strong  douche  (douche  de 
haute  pression]  as  a  douche  de  massage,  and  that 
the  vigour  of  its  jets  acts  in  the  same  manner  as 
massage  does.  The  baths  and  douches  are  pro- 
longed ones  ;  the  former  last  from  half  an  hour  to 
an  hour,  and  the  latter  from  ten  to  fifteen  minutes. 

As  the  State  has  been  to  so  much  expense  to 
establish  a  great  military  hospital  at  Bourbonne,  we 
may  safely  conclude  that  the  waters  are  found  of 
great  efficacy  in  the  treatment  of  wounds  and  injuries 
received  in  battle.  They  are  also  applicable  to  all 
forms  of  chronic  rheumatism  of  the  muscles  and 
joints,  badly  united  fractures,  and  certain  cases  of 
paralysis  and  muscular  feebleness.  The  number  of 
persons  that  ma)r  be  seen  in  wheeled  chairs,  or  on 
crutches,  or  limping  with  sticks,  or  with  deformed 
limbs,  and  also  the  number  of  pale,  deformed, 
delicate,  scrofulous  children  seen  in  the  streets  and 
in  the  hotels,  point  clearly  enough  to  the  uses 
of  the  Bourbonne  springs.  Chronic  rheumatism  in 
its  many  forms,  chronic  articular  gout  in  its  atonic 
forms,  paralysis  from  muscular  atrophy,  sciatica 
and  other  forms  of  neuralgia,  and  the  glandular 
and  other  affections  of  scrofulous  children,  certain 
chronic  affections  of  the  female  pelvic  organs — 
these  are  the  chief  maladies  treated  at  Bourbonne. 
Affections  of  the  nerves  dependent  on  rheumatism 
are  especially  benefited,  but  ataxic  cases  are  not 


ii2  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  1, 

suitable.      Some     torpid    forms     of     constitutional 
syphilis  are  benefited  there. 

The  time  usually  given  to  the  cure  there,  as 
elsewhere  in  France,  is  the  mystical  twenty-one 
days,  though  at  the  military  hospital,  where 
" mystic"  numbers  are  disregarded,  two  months 
and  even  longer  are  devoted  to  the  cure  !  In 
obstinate  cases  it  has  been  recommended  that  two 
periods,  each  of  twenty-one  days,  should  be  allowed, 
with  an  interval  of  ten  days,  which  may  be  spent 
in  an  excursion  into  the  interesting  country  around 
or  in  Switzerland,  which  can  be  reached  via  Bale 
or  Delle  in  a  few  hours. 

Beside  chloride  of  sodium  these  waters  contain 
chlorides  of  lime  and  magnesium,  carbonate  and 
sulphate  of  lime,  bromide  of  sodium,  and  the  much- 
coveted  chloride  of  lithium.  In  the  published 
analysis  as  much  as  nearly  nine  centigrammes,  about 
ij  grains,  of  chloride  of  lithium  is  stated  to  be 
found  in  a  litre  of  the  water.  If  this  statement 
be  correct,  then  the  water  of  Bourbonne  contains 
more  lithium  than  any  other  spring  in  France. 

Bourbonne  les  Bains  is  no  doubt  an  excellent 
spa  for  the  treatment  of  severe  forms  of  chronic 
rheumatism  (not  so  useful  in  rheumatoid  arthritis), 
obstinate  neuralgia,  slowly  healing  wounds,  muscular 
atrophies,  and  all  forms  of  scrofulous  disease  of  the 
glands,  bones,  and  joints.  In  this  last  class  of 
affections  it  is  probably  no  more  efficacious  than 
hot  sea  water  would  prove  if  applied  systematically 
in  the  same  manner,  and  associated  with  sea 
air. 

There  are  two  neighbouring  springs  which  are 
used  as  auxiliaries  in  suitable  cases — one,  the 
Source  de  Lariviere,  is  a  tonic  iron  spring,  and  the 
other,  Source  Magnard,  resembles  in  composition 
the  springs  of  Contrexeville  and  Vittel,  and  can  be 
employed,  as  they  are,  in  cases  of  the  uric  acid 
diathesis. 

The  season  is  from  May  ist  to  October. 


SECT.  B.]  LA   BOURBOULE.  113 

Bourboule  (La),  in  Auvergne,  is  specially  famous 
for  its  hot  arsenical  springs,  rich  also  in  sodium 
chloride  and  bicarbonate.  It  is  in  the  Mont  Dore 
chain,  and  is  situated  only  four  or  five  miles  from 
Mont  Dore  les  Bains,  the  road  thence  following 
the  course  of  the  valley  and  the  right  bank  of  the 
Dordogne  as  it  descends  towards  the  north-west. 

La  Bourboule  is  not  so  high  as  Mont  Dore,  its 
elevation  above  the  sea  being  only  2,770  feet.  It  is 
not  so  shut  in  as  Mont  Dore,  but  lies  in  a  com- 
paratively wide  open  valley,  surrounded  by  hills 
of  moderate  height  and  very  gentle  slope.  It  is 
not,  however,  so  well  placed  as  Mont  Dore  for 
excursions  into  the  interesting  country  around,  most 
of  the  points  of  greatest  interest  being  more  easily 
reached  from  the  latter. 

It  can  now  be  reached  from  Paris  by  rail  in 
about  ten  hours  by  express  train.  It  has  a  sub- 
alpine  climate  well  adapted  to  the  cases  sent 
there  and  the  treatment  applied.  It  possesses 
both  hot  and  cold  springs.  The  latter  need  not 
concern  us  as  they  are  of  altogether  minor  im- 
portance, both  in  mineralisation  and  in  amount  of 
outflow.  The  two  hot  springs  are  known  as  La 
Source  Choussy-Perriere  and  La  Source  Croizat. 
The  latter  spring  is  of  recent  discovery.  The 
Choussy-Perriere  has  a  temperature  of  136°  F.,  and 
contains  in  a  litre  3  grammes  of  sodium  chloride, 
3*8  of  sodium  bicarbonate,  and  0*028  of  sodium 
arsenate.  The  Croizat  is  not  so  hot,  its  temperature 
is  113°  F. ;  it  contains  more  sodium  chloride  (5*63), 
but  less  sodium  bicarbonate  (3-0)  and  less  sodium 
arsenate  (0-025). 

It  is  maintained  that  the  arsenic  in  Bourboule 
water  has  not  the  ill  effects  attributed  to  the  use 
of  arsenic  in  other  forms,  yet  after  its  protracted 
use  arsenic  is  found  in  all  the  tissues — the  blood, 
the  skin,  and  the  hair.  The  baths  are  stimulating, 
and  promote  oxidation,  tissue  changes,  and  diuresis. 
On  the  skin  La  Source  Perriere,  at  a  moderate 


ii4  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PARTI. 

temperature,  produces  a  soft,  unctuous  feeling,  most 
calming  and  comforting  in  skin  affections. 

The  internal  use  of  the  water  is  of  main  im- 
portance. It  is  usually  drunk  at  a  temperature  of 
about  104°  F.,  in  doses  varying  from  three  to 
eighteen  or  even  twenty  ounces,  divided  into  three 
portions,  at  different  times  in  the  day.  When  very 
large  doses  are  thought  necessary,  a  portion  is  often 
given  by  enema. 

The  baths  are  taken  separately,  or  in  a  common 
bath,  and  in  certain  skin  affections  very  prolonged 
baths  are  ordered,  sometimes  for  several  hours 
(macerations),  but  not  very  hot.  In  other  cases 
the  duration  and  temperature  of  the  baths  are 
greatly  varied  according  to  circumstances. 

The  inhalation  chambers  filled  with  the  finely 
pulverised  water  are  at  the  service  of  patients  with 
respiratory  affections.  The  temperature  of  these 
chambers  is  kept  at  about  90°  F. 

All  the  needful  apparatus  for  naso-pharyngeal 
applications,  for  douches  of  all  kinds,  for  vapour 
baths,  for  dry  and  wet  massage,  are  Lund  in  a  very 
perfectly  equipped  bath  establishment. 

Of  the  cases  adapted  to  treatment  at  La  Bour- 
boule,  skin  affections  stand  in  the  first  rank,  especially 
those  forms  that  have  proved  rebellious  to  other 
kinds  of  treatment,  and  although  some  of  these 
prove  intractable  to  this  as  to  other  methods  of 
treatment,  there  are  few  that  do  not  receive  some 
benefit.  The  list  drawn  up  by  the  local  authorities  is  a 
long  one,  and  includes  ichthyosis,  psoriasis,  pityriasis 
rubra,  eczema,  lichen  rubra,  prurigo,  erythema  in- 
duratum,  tuberculous  affections,  acne,  boils,  chronic 
urticaria,  etc.  The  chronic  diseases  of  children  occupy 
the  next  place,  especially  the  glandular  and  osseous 
affections  of  the  lymphatic  and  scrofulous,  particu- 
larly those  children  with  whom  the  seaside  disagrees. 

Sufferers  from  ancemia  and  chlorosis  not  amenable 
to  the  usual  treatment  with  iron  benefit  by  the 
Bourboule  course. 


SECT.  B.]  LA     BOURBOULE.  115 

Certain  affections  of  the  respiratory  organs,  as 
chronic  catarrhs  of  the  pharynx,  larynx,  trachea,  and 
bronchi  in  the  arthritic,  or  neurotic  and  arthritic, 
especially  when  associated  with  some  skin  affections, 
are  suitable  for  treatment  there. 

Infantile  asthma,  which  often  coincides  with 
enlargement  of  the  bronchial  glands,  is  said  to  be 
generally  cured  at  La  Bourboule. 

Early  or  very  slightly  advanced  non-febrile  cases 
of  pulmonary  tuberculosis,  or  persons  apparently 
threatened  with  that  disease,  benefit  by  the  climate 
and  treatment. 

Persons  suffering  from  malarial  cachexia  (without 
serious  hepatic  trouble),  from  neuralgia  of  malarious 
origin,  from  arthritis  de for  mans  >  from  neurasthenia 
with  anaemia,  and  some  cachectic  forms  of  syphilis, 
may  derive  benefit  from  the  course  combined  with 
the  tonic  influence  of  the  climate.  Atonic  forms 
of  gout  and  rheumatism,  especially  if  associated 
with  cutaneous  manifestations,  do  well  there. 

Finally,  La  Bourboule  claims  to  be  a  suit- 
able resort  for  the  diabetic  and  for  some  forms  of 
albuminnria.  The  cases  of  diabetes  suitable  for 
treatment  at  this  spa  are  perhaps  a  little  difficult  to 
define  ;  it  is  said  that  emaciating  cases,  with  increased 
excretion  of  urinary  solids  (urates  and  phosphates), 
such  as  have  failed  to  be  benefited  at  Vichy,  improve 
there,  and  that  in  other  forms  the  results  are  some- 
times good  and  at  other  times  nil. 

Nothing  very  definite  seems  to  be  known  as  to 
what  cases  of  albuminuria  are  suitable  for  treatment 
at  La  Bourboule  ;  it  is  suggested  that  cases  of  cyclic 
or  functional  albuminuria  and  those  associated  with 
phosphaturia  are  benefited  there.  But  these  cases 
can  be  dealt  with  very  well  by  other  means. 

The  season  is  from  May  25th  to  Sept.  3oth. 
The  climate  becomes  often  somewhat  trying  after 
September  2oth.  There  are  three  bath  establish- 
ments, one  of  which  is  a  model  of  its  kind. 

1  he  hotels  are  numerous  and  good.    All  the  usual 


n 6  MINERAL    SPRINGS,  [PARTI. 

distractions  provided  at  French  spas  will  be  found 
at  La  Bourboule. 

Brides  les  Bains  and  Salins  Moutiers  are  situated 
in  a  charming  valley  in  the  Tarantaise,  a  part  of 
Savoy  exceedingly  picturesque  and  Swiss-like  in 
character.  These  two  resorts  are  usually  considered 
together,  as  they  are  only  three  or  four  miles  apart, 
and  in  many  cases  the  resources  of  both  establish- 
ments are  utilised  for  the  same  patients.  Brides 
has  laxative  waters  which  are  chiefly  used  internally, 
and  Salins  Moutiers  has  strong  gaseous  salt  springs 
which  are  mainly  used  externally. 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  consider  them  sepa- 
rately; and  first  with  regard  to  Brides  les  Bains. 

Brides  lies  in  the  midst  of  very  beautiful  scenery, 
and  few  resorts  of  like  importance  medically  can 
be  found  which  present  the  same  attractions  for  the 
lover  of  nature  as  this  little  Savoy  village.  It  is 
situated  in  the  valley  of  the  Doron,  which  rushes 
through  the  village  as  a  noisy,  white,  foaming 
mountain  torrent,  and  joins  the  Isere  at  Moutiers. 
The  valley  runs  deeply  into  those  high  Alps  of  the 
Tarantaise  which  lie,  as  the  crow  flies,  about  twenty 
miles  south  of  Mont  Blanc,  and  about  one-half  that 
distance  north  of  Mont  Cenis.  Brides  stands  at  an 
elevation  of  1,800  feet  above  the  sea,  at  the  opening 
of  two  lateral  valleys,  the  sides  of  which  are  thickly 
wooded,  and  afford  many  charmingly  sheltered 
promenades  amidst  their  woods  and  picturesque 
and  primitive  villages. 

It  can  be  very  hot  at  Brides  in  the  middle 
of  a  hot  summer  day,  but  the  atmosphere  is 
usually  cool  and  fresh  in  the  mornings  and  evenings. 

A  few  years  ago  Brides  was  little  known  in 
England,  and  at  that  time  it  was  somewhat  difficult 
of  access,  but  since  the  extension  of  the  railway  from 
Albertville  to  Moutiers  and  the  recent  connection 
of  Brides  with  Salins  by  an  electric  tramway  it 
receives  far  more  English  visitors  than  formerly. 


SECT.  B.J  BRIDES     LES     BAINS.  117 

Brides  has  been  termed,  from  the  action  rather 
than  the  composition  of  its  water,  the  French 
Carlsbad.  The  resemblance  may  not  be  very 
complete  from  certain  points  of  view,  but  in  one 
sense  the  term  seems  justified,  for  the  Brides  water 
is  undoubtedly  exceedingly  well  adapted  to  the 
treatment  of  many  of  the  diseases  in  which  the 
Carlsbad  source  is  usually  considered  to  be  indicated. 
The  springs  are  not  so  strongly  mineralised  as  those 
of  the  great  Bohemian  spa,  they  are  not  01 
nearly  so  high  a  temperature,  and  they  contain  no 
sodium  bicarbonate,  which  is  a  very  important 
ingredient  in  the  Carlsbad  water.  Of  the  6-5 
grammes  of  solids  in  the  litre  of  Brides  water  the 
most  active  constituents  are  doubtless  the  sodium 
chloride  (1*8318),  and  sulphate  (ri6o4),  and  mag- 
nesium sulphate  (0*5288).  Other  ingredients  in 
smaller  proportions  are  calcium  and  magnesium 
carbonates,  calcium  sulphate,  and  minute  quantities 
of  lithium  sulphate,  ferrous  carbonate,  and  sodium 
arsenate.  The  water  also  contains  some  free  car- 
bonic acid  gas.  Its  temperature  is  95°  F. 

It  is  a  water  better  classified  by  its  effects  than 
by  its  composition.  In  small  doses  it  promotes 
appetite  and  digestion,  and  is  useful  in  certain  cases 
of  dyspepsia  ;  in  larger  doses  it  is  distinctly  laxative, 
but  acts  without  causing  any  distress  or  exhaustion. 
"  Cela  purge  sans  fatiguer "  is  the  local  saying. 

The  Brides  cure  is  chiefly  a  drinking  cure,  but 
the  water  is  also  used  in  baths  and  douches — in 
general  douches,  and  in  ascending  douches.  The 
water,  when  drunk,  has  a  diuretic  action  and 
promotes  the  excretion  of  the  urinary  solids.  It 
is  decidedly  eliminant,  both  renally  and  intestinally, 
and  by  its  stimulating  action  on  the  intestinal 
secretions  it  indirectly  promotes  nutritive  changes, 
and  so  has  a  tonic  effect. 

The  bath  establishment  is  very  thoroughly 
equipped,  and  besides  the  usual  arrangements  for 
baths,  douches,  dry  hot  air  and  moist  vapour  baths, 


n8  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

it  has  Swedish  gymnastics,  electric  baths,  and  electric 
light  baths,  and  an  analytical  laboratory  and  the 
necessary  apparatus  for  radiography. 

The  following  are  the  maladies  in  which  the 
Brides  course  has  been  found  useful.  The  first 
place  is  occupied  by  functional  diseases  of  the 
liver,  especially  those  occurring  in  persons  of  gouty 
constitutions.  Biliary  concretions  and  the  tendency 
to  attacks  of  biliary  colic  are  favourably  influenced 
by  the  free  use  of  these  waters  ;  cases  of  hepatic 
engorgement,  of  catarrh  of  the  bile  ducts  and  jaun- 
dice ;  cases  resulting  from  residence  in  the  tropics, 
and  as  a  consequence  of  malarial  attacks — all  these 
forms  of  hepatic  or  hepato-splenic  disorders  are 
benefited  at  Brides.  Cases  of  haemorrhoids  are 
greatly  advantaged.  It  is  maintained  that  not  only 
do  these  springs  relieve  congestions  and  restore 
healthy  function  by  their  laxative  and  eliminative 
influences,  but  that  they  are  also  tonic  and  eupeptic, 
and  therefore  assist  in  restoring  strength  to  the 
enfeebled.  Dyspepsias,  dependent  on  chronic  gastric 
catarrh,  or  on  hyperacidity,  or  dependent  on  the 
preceding  maladies,  derive  much  benefit,  so  do  the 
migrainous  when  their  attacks  are  associated  with 
disturbed  hepatic  functions,  or  appear  as  gouty 
manifestations. 

These  waters  are  also  used  in  chronic  intestinal 
catarrh,  chronic  dysentery,  and  in  obstinate  constipa- 
tion. Chronic  affections  of  the  uterus  of  a  torpid 
character,  engorgements,  hypertrophy,  metritis,  dys- 
menorrhcea,  amenorrhcea,  leucorrhcea,  so  often  asso- 
ciated with  anaemia  and  chronic  constipation,  are 
reported  as  very  favourably  influenced  by  treatment 
at  Brides.  In  these  cases  the  waters  and  baths  of 
Salins  prove  valuable  auxiliaries. 

It  has  already  been  said  that  the  treatment  at 
Brides  is  especially  beneficial  in  those  disturbances 
of  health  which  are  ordinarily  referred  to  the  gouty 
constitution  ;  it  follows  that  certain  forms  of  diabetes 
and  of  albuminuria  are  represented  as  suitable  cases 


SECT.  B.]  BRIDES     LES     BAINS.  119 

for  this  spa  ;  the  fat,  gouty  diabetics  are  generally 
benefited  by  combined  treatment  at  Brides  and 
Salins. 

With  regard  to  cases  of  albuminuria,  much  care 
and  caution  must  be  exercised  in  determining  those 
which  are  and  those  which  are  not  suited  to  treat- 
ment by  mineral  courses  such  as  Brides.  In  cases  of 
well-defined  Bright's  disease — of  established  nephritis 
— except  in  the  very  chronic  form  of  obviously 
gouty  origin,  treatment  at  Brides  is  not  to  be  recom- 
mended. The  cases  that  are  enumerated  by  Delastre 
as  likely  to  derive  benefit  at  Brides  are  those  follow- 
ing infective  fevers,  the  albuminuria  of  adolescents, 
that  dependent  on  congestive  conditions  of  the  kid- 
neys, the  consequence  of  cardiac  and  circulatory 
feebleness,  and  especially  when  occurring  in  associa- 
tion with  obesity,  chronic  alcoholism,  and  hepatic 
troubles. 

The  tendency  to  urinary  concretions  and  deposits 
so  common  in  the  gouty  is  benefited  by  these 
waters.  Combined  treatment  at  Brides  and  Salins 
has  been  found  very  serviceable  in  those  cases  of 
anaemia  and  chlorosis  associated  with  manifest  torpor 
of  the  gastro-intestinal  functions,  and  in  which 
attention  to  the  improvement  of  gastric  and  intes- 
tinal tone  and  activity  by  baths,  exercises,  and 
suitable  laxatives  is  of  chief  importance. 

Finally,  Brides  has  a  special  reputation  for  the 
treatment,  of  obesity.  The  combined  treatment  at 
Brides  and  Salins  is  most  appropriate  to  many  of 
such  cases,  including  the  anaemic  form,  and  we  can 
testify  to  the  excellence  of  the  results  obtained  there 
when  combined  with  a  suitable  regime. 

Salins  Moutiers  is  now  connected  with  Brides  by  an  electric 
tramway,  performing  the  journey  in  about  a  quarter  of 
an  hour.  Its  elevation  is  about  300  feet  less  than  that  of 
Brides.  Its  springs  are  rich  in  sodium  chloride,  containing 
over  13  grammes  to  the  litre,  and  rich  also  in  free  carbonic 
acid  gas;  it  also  contains  potassium  chloride,  calcium,  and 
magnesium  sulphates  and  carbonates  and  ferrous  carbonate 


120  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

with  minute  quantities  of  lithium  sulphate,  sodium  arsenate. 
and  silica.  Their  temperature  is  97°  F.  The  new  bath 
establishment  is  well  equipped  with  baths  and  piscines  and 
douches,  two  swimming  baths,  vapour  baths,  rooms  for 
massage  and  Swedish  gymnastics,  etc.  A  ferruginous  and 
arsenical  mud  is  also  collected  from  the  deposits  in  the 
water  conduits  and  used  therapeutically.  The  baths,  too, 
can  be  fortified  by  the  addition  of  eau  mere.  Owing 
to  the  great  amount  of  water  proceeding  from  the  springs 
the  baths  are  given  a  Veau  courante,  so  that  the  water 
of  the  bath  is  continually  renewed,  and  also  maintained 
throughout  of  the  same  temperature.  The  gas  in  the  water 
accumulates  on  the  skin  in  little  globules  and  is  supposed  to 
exercise  a  sedative  action.  The  duration  of  the  bath  is 
determined  by  the  medical  attendant  and  varies  according 
to  the  case.  Patients  express  themselves  as  refreshed  and 
invigorated  by  these  hot  gaseous  salt  baths  in  contra- 
distinction to  the  languor  complained  of  after  hot  baths  in 
some  other  stations. 

These  baths  are  tonic  and  strengthening,  improving  the 
condition  of  the  blood  and  the  circulation,  and  are  applicable 
to  a  variety  of  maladies,  cases  of  slow  convalescence,  deli- 
cate lymphatic  children,  cases  of  overgrowth,  of  anaemia  and 
chlorosis.  In  "  scrofulous  "  manifestations  affecting  the  glands, 
bones,  and  joints,  ocular  affections,  ozaena ;  in  uterine  cases, 
combined  with  Brides  wateis  internally,  as  already  men- 
tioned ;  in  chronic  rheumatism  and  old  traumatic  affections, 
the  baths  prove  very  useful.  Owing  to  the  resemblance 
of  the  waters  to  those  of  Nauheim,  it  was  to  be  expected 
that  certain  forms  of  cardiac  disease  would  be  regarded  as 
suitable  for  treatment  here,  but  we  are  not  aware  that  this 
suggestion  has,  so  far,  been  widely  adopted. 

These  waters  are  prescribed  internally  to  children  in 
moderate  doses,  and  they  appear  to  be  easily  digested.  The 
season  at  Brides  and  Salins  is  from  May  i5th  to  Sept.  3oth. 
The  early  and  latter  parts  of  the  season  are  the  most  agree- 
able. The  heat  is  often  very  great  in  July  and  August. 

The  journey  from  Paris  to  Moutiers  Salins  is  performed 
in  thirteen  hours.  Hotels  are  good  and  the  usual  amusements 
are  provided.  There  are  many  suitable  places  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood for  an  after-cure :  the  nearest  is  Pralognan,  about 
three  hours'  drive  from  Brides ;  it  is  in  a  beautiful  and  well- 
protected  situation  at  an  elevation  of  4.600  feet. 

Briickenau  is  a  Bavarian  spa  not  far  from 
Kissingen,  with  a  station  on  the  Briickenau  branch 
line  from  Jossa,  between  Elm  and  Gemunden,  having 
weak  cold  gaseous  chalybeate  springs.  Its  situation 


SECT.  B.]  BRUCKENAU.  121 

is  very  picturesque,  lying  in  the  valley  of  Sinn,  which 
abounds  in  beautiful  scenery,  at  an  elevation  980  feet 
above  the  sea.  The  village  is  built  on  the  south- 
western declivity  of  the  Rhon  mountains,  but  the 
springs,  with  the  Kurhaus  and  the  handsome  Kursaal, 
are  two  miles  from  the  village. 

The  climate  is  mild  and  agreeable,  the  aveiage 
summer  temperature  not  exceeding  63°  F. 

The  springs  and  the  Kursaal,  and  the  hotels  and 
houses  for  the  accommodation  of  the  visitors,  are 
situated  in  beautiful  gardens  and  pleasure  grounds, 
surrounded  by  hills  covered  with  beech  forests, 
through  which  there  are  picturesque  walks  and 
excursions  of  various  distances. 

The  waters  are  very  mild  and  contain  iron  only, 
in  very  small  quantity  ;  but  they  have  an  abundance 
of  carbonic  acid,  which  makes  them  very  pleasant  to 
drink.  There  are  three  springs,  the  chief  and 
strongest  of  which  is  the  Stahlquelle — it  contains 
only  0*0 1 1  of  carbonate  of  iron  per  litre.  Moor  baths 
from  Gersfield  Moor  are  used,  as  well  as  baths  of 
the  gaseous  springs.  Electrotherapy  and  hydro- 
therapy  are  likewise  utilised.  These  waters  are 
said  to  be  useful  as  an  after- course  to  Kissingen, 
and  if,  after  three  or  four  weeks  of  water-drinking  at 
the  latter  place,  one  still  has  time  and  inclination 
for  more,  this  inclination  might,  doubtless,  be  harm- 
lessly and  agreeably  gratified  by  a  week  or  two 
amidst  the  beautiful  scenery  around  Briickenau, 
and  the  consumption  of  a  certain  amount  of  its 
sparkling  and  refreshing  waters. 

The  medical  authorities  of  the  place  claim  that 
the  waters  are  tonic  and  blood-restoring,  and  useful 
in  many  diseases  associated  with  debility ;  that, 
combined  with  warm  milk,  they  are  beneficial  in 
pulmonary  affections,  in  chronic  bronchitis,  and  in 
dyspepsia.  The  baths,  no  doubt,  are  stimulating  to 
the  skin,  on  account  of  the  amount  of  carbonic 
acid  they  contain,  and  they  are  reported  to  be 
very  useful  in  some  female  maladies.  The  patients 


122  MINERAL    SPRINGS,  [PART  r. 

are  chiefly  of  the  female  sex.      The  season  is  from 
May  1 5th  to  Oct.  ist. 

Builth  Wells,  a  spa  and  health  resort  in  Radnor- 
shire, on  the  Wye,  in  a  pleasant  situation  at  an 
elevation  of  400  feet.  It  is  about  a  mile  and  a-half 
from  the  town  of  Builth,  where  visitors  to  the 
Wells  usually  stay.  The  springs  resemble  those  at 
Llandrindod  Wells — one,  the  chief,  being  a  saline 
spring,  another  a  chalybeate  and  saline,  and  a  third 
a  weak  sulphur  spring.  The  saline  spring  contains 
sodium  chloride  12*5  grammes  per  litre,  and 
calcium  chloride  2*5.  It  appears  to  contain  also 
very  minute  amounts  of  magnesium  chloride  and 
lithium  chloride,  and  traces  of  iron,  aluminium,  and 
manganese. 

The  chalybeate  spring  is  said  to  be  a  strong  one, 
but  we  have  not  seen  any  detailed  analysis  published. 
These  waters  are  served  out  in  pump-rooms,  all  under 
the  same  roof.  Hot  and  cold  baths  are  also  prepared 
with  the  saline  and  sulphur  waters. 

The  therapeutic  value  of  these  springs  cannot  be 
said  to  have  been  precisely  ascertained.  Locally  they 
appear  to  have  a  reputation  for  the  relief  of  various 
maladies,  especially  gastric  and  hepatic  disorders. 

Bussang  (Vosges). — Supposing  you  have  finished 
your  twenty-one  or  twenty-five  days  at  Contrexeville 
or  Plombieres,  it  is  an  easy  and  pleasant  change  to 
go  on  for  a  few  days  to  Bussang.  An  agreeable  drive 
of  an  hour  and  a-quarter  conveys  you  from 
Plombieres  to  the  railway  station  at  Remiremont. 

At  Remiremont  we  take  the  railway  to  St. 
Maurice,  an  hour's  journey  through  a  most  attractive 
valley,  the  line  running  along  by  the  side  of  the 
Moselle,  here  a  beautiful  clear  stream,  nearly  the 
whole  way,  amidst  the  greenest  of  pastures  and 
surrounded  by  some  of  the  highest  of  the  Vosges 
mountains.  At  St.  Maurice,  which  lies  at  the  foot 
of  the  Ballon  d' Alsace  and  the  Ballon  de  Servance, 


SECT.  B.]  BUSSANG.  123 

the  railway  comes  to  an  end,  and  you  find  a  com- 
fortable omnibus  at  the  station  waiting  to  take  you 
on  to  Bussang,  an  uphill  drive  of  three  or  four  miles. 
Although  Bussang  has  only  had  an  Etablissement  for 
the  reception  of  visitors  in  recent  years,  the  water  of 
its  springs  has  long  been  known,  and  is  so  popular  in 
France  that  upwards  of  a  million  bottles  are  annually 
exported.  It  is  a  very  pleasant  water  to  drink — it  is 
gaseous  and  effervescent  and  at  Bussang  is  taken  with 
wine  at  meals.  It  is  also  mildly  tonic.  It  contains 
small  quantities  of  iron  and  manganese  and  minute 
amounts  of  arsenic  and  lithium,  and  it  is  slightly 
alkaline.  There  is  about  1*5  of  solids  to  the  litre. 
The  Salinade  spring  is  richest  in  carbonic  acid.  It 
would  seem  to  be  an  excellent  mild  tonic  water, 
well  adapted  to  cases  of  anaemia  and  anaemic 
dyspepsia,  especially  in  the  case  of  persons  who 
cannot  bear  stronger  iron  waters.  It  must  also  be 
a  good  water  for  those  persons  to  drink  who,  having 
finished  the  prescribed  course  at  Contrexeville,  still 
need  to  continue  water  drinking  for  some  time  ;  the 
strengthening  constituents  of  the  Bussang  water  should 
be  altogether  advantageous  to  them.  The  Bussang 
water  is  no  doubt  a  really  valuable  as  well  as  a 
pleasant  spring.  The  mild  mountain  climate,  com- 
bined with  the  mild  tonic  waters  and  the  application 
of  hydrotherapy,  form  an  excellent  treatment  for 
cases  of  nervous  exhaustion  and  overwork. 

If  favoured  with  fine  weather,  a  visitor  might 
easily  become  enthusiastic  about  the  surroundings  of 
Bussang.  A  quarter  of  an  hour's  walk  from  the 
hotel  (2,170  feet  above  the  sea)  brings  you  to  the 
top  of  the  Col  de  Bussang  (2,384  feet),  where  you 
find  a  long  tunnel,  in  the  middle  of  which  is  the 
boundary  line  between  France  and  Germany.  On 
going  up  to  the  Col  you  pass  a  little  wooden  shed 
erected  to  mark  the  spot  where  the  Moselle  has  its 
source,  for  at  Bussang  this  river  is  but  a  little 
trickling  stream  which  a  child  can  leap  over.  Pass- 
ing through  the  Col,  one  looks  down  on  the  pretty 


f24  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

little  town  of  Wesserling,  in  Alsace.  Close  also  to 
the  hotel  are  several  paths  leading  to  beautiful  walks 
and  excursions  amidst  the  highest  of  the  Vosges 
mountains.  The  nearest  and  most  readily  accessible 
of  these  is  the  Grand  Drumont,  rather  over  4,000 
feet  high,  and  reached  from  Bussang  by  an  easy 
ascent  of  about  an  hour  and  a-half.  From  the 
summit,  which  is  covered  with  soft  green  pastures 
(here  called  chaumes),  a  fine  view  is  obtained  of 
Alsace-Lorraine,  of  the  Rhine  valley,  the  mountains 
of  the  Black  Forest,  and  on  very  clear  days  of  some 
of  the  snow-topped  mountains  of  Central  Switzerland. 
The  summit  of  the  Ballon  d' Alsace,  a  few  feet 
higher,  can  be  reached  from  Bussang  in  two  and  a- 
half  hours — there  is  a  hotel  near  the  top,  where 
those  who  require  still  more  bracing  air  can  reside, 
and  the  view  is  very  fine  and  extensive. 

A  good  hotel  and  a  hydropathic  establishment 
afford  excellent  accommodation  for  visitors.  Al- 
together it  would  be  difficult  to  find  in  the  Vosges 
a  more  pleasant,  quiet,  mildly  bracing  mountain 
resort  than  Bussang. 

The  season  is  from  June  I5th  to  Sept.  i5th. 

Buxton,  in  Derbyshire,  about  four  and  a-half 
hours  from  London,  has  thermal  waters  which  have 
enjoyed  a  well-merited  celebrity  for  many  centuries, 
and  it  is  now  one  of  the  most  popular  baths  in  this 
country.  It  is  said  to  have  been  a  favourite  resort 
of  Mary  Stuart.  It  has  a  large  hospital,  the  Devon- 
shire Hospital,  where  the  efficacy  and  applicability 
of  the  waters  have  for  many  years  been  studied, 
a  separate  pump-room  and  bath  establishment  being 
at  the  service  of  the  patients. 

Buxton,  being  at  an  elevation  of  1,000  feet  above 
the  sea,  and  in  the  midst  of  some  of  the  finest 
scenery  of  Derbyshire,  is  a  pleasant  and  cheerful 
place  of  resort  and  has  fine,  bracing  air,  which  is  not 
without  its  influence  in  the  successes  obtained  there. 
It  is,  however,  rather  a  rainy  place. 


SECT.  B.]  BUXTON.  125 

The  mean  temperature  for  January,  the  coldest 
month,  is  40*1°  F.,  the  mean  minimum  30*0°;  for 
July  the  mean  maximum  is  65*1°,  and  the  mean 
minimum  48*4°.  In  1893  the  lowest  temperature 
recorded,  9-4°  F.,  was  on  January  5th,  and  the  highest 
83°  F.  on  August  1 8th.  The  highest  mean  rainfall 
is  in  October  and  November,  amounting  to  10*93 
inches  for  these  two  months ;  the  lowest  rainfall 
is  in  April,  2^48  inches.  .  The  yearly  mean  is  46*2 
inches.  Of  hours  of  sunshine  the  highest  mean  is  in 
June  (151  hours),  and  the  lowest  in  December  (22 
hours). 

Buxton  is  a  simple  thermal  spring,  which  may  be 
compared  to  that  of  Ragatz  or  Wildbad  on  the 
Continent.  The  temperature  of  the  water  is 
82°  F.,  so  that  it  is  rather  tepid  than  hot,  and  its 
peculiarity  is  the  large  amount  of  nitrogen  gas  it 
contains.  The  supply  of  water  is  very  abundant.  It  is 
of  very  feeble  mineralisation,  containing  only  0*4 
grammes  of  mineral  substance  per  litre,  of  which 
0*2  is  calcium  bicarbonate,  o'i  magnesium  bicarbonate, 
and  about  0-05  sodium  chloride.  The  usual  dose 
prescribed  internally  is  from  4  to  10  oz.  There  is 
a  weak  non-gaseous  chalybeate  spring  sometimes 
drunk  there,  and  especially  used  for  bathing  the  eyes  ; 
it  contains  0-015  grammes  of  carbonate  of  iron  in 
a  litre.  A  handsome  new  pump-room  for  drinking 
the  waters  was  opened  in  1894  by  the  owner,  the 
Duke  of  Devonshire. 

There  are  two  separate  bath  establishments— one 
in  which  the  water  is  used  at  the  "  natural  "  tem- 
perature, another  the  "hot  baths"  in  which  the  water 
is  artificially  heated  to  any  temperature  desired. 
"  The  temperature  is  raised  by  mixing  with  the 
natural  water  a  varying  quantity  of  the  same 
water  heated  in  a  tank  by  means  of  a  steam  coil 
to  about  200°  F." 

The  equipment  of  this  bath  establishment  is 
very  complete,  with  immersion  baths  having  cranes 
and  chairs  for  lowering  cripples  into  the  bath ; 


126  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

douches  of  all  kinds,  and  vapour  baths.  A  feature 
there  is  the  "  massage  bath/'  in  which  massage  is 
applied  while  the  patient  in  the  reclining  position 
is  treated  with  sprays  and  douches. 

The  baths  are  prescribed  for  comparatively  short 
periods,  the  natural  bath  from  four  to  seven  minutes, 
the  patient  being  instructed  to  keep  moving  about 
all  the  time  ;  in  the  hot  bath,  which  is  preferred  for 
patients  with  feebler  powers  of  reaction,  the  period 
varies  from  four  to  fifteen  minutes.  A  "  brisk  walk  " 
is  recommended  after  the  natural  bath,  if,  of 
course,  the  patient  is  capable  of  such  a  display  of 
activity. 

Some     nervous     or     circulatory     disturbances  — 
giddiness,    palpitation,    insomnia — and   occasionally 
slight  febrile  disturbances,  occur  to  some  persons  at 
the  commencement  of  the  course. 

Buxton  is  particularly  celebrated  for  the  cure  or 
alleviation  of  chronic  articular  gout  and  rheumatism  ; 
"  irregular "  forms  of  gout  are  also  benefited,  and 
acute  attacks  are  said  to  be  warded  off  by  treatment, 
in  the  intervals,  at  Buxton  ;  the  joint  stiffness  and 
painful  conditions  left  by  attacks  of  acute  rheumatism 
are  also  relieved.  Gonorrhceal  forms  are  reputed  as 
much  benefited  by  the  hot  steam  douches  ;  its  baths 
have  also  proved  very  useful  in  cases  of  hysterical 
paralysis  and  joint  affections,  in  some  forms  of 
paralysis  not  dependent  on  central  lesions,  in  sciatica, 
and  other  neuralgias  of  gouty  or  rheumatic  origin, 
and  in  the  removal  of  inflammatory  thickenings  of 
joints. 

Massage  in  the  baths,  no  doubt,  contributes  to 
the  relief  of  many  forms  of  chronic  joint  affections 
and  neuralgias. 

As  to  the  value  of  the  treatment  at  Buxton  in 
cases  of  osteo-arthritis,  some  doubts  may  be  per- 
mitted. Those  cases  which  seem  distinctly  referable 
to  a  neuropathic  origin  are  little  amenable  to  thermal 
treatment  of  any  kind  ;  while  those  which  are  more 
closely  allied  to  gouty  or  rheumatic  states  no  doubt 


SECT.    B.] 


BAGNOLS     LES     BAINS. 


127 


derive  much  benefit  from  the  combination  of  massage 
and  warm  douching. 

Many  other  morbid  conditions  have  been  men- 
tioned as  relieved  by  treatment  at  Buxton  ;  but  the 
specialisation  of  the  treatment  at  this  or  similar 
spas  must  be  referred  to  maladies  connected  with  the 
rheumatic  or  gouty  diathesis,  and  these  are  very 
numerous.  The  baths  are  open  all  the  year  round, 
but  the  summer  is  the  best  season  for  the  course 
— from  May  to  September. 


Baassen,  a  gaseous  salt  bath  in 
Transylvania,  eight  miles  from  the 
railway  station  of  Mediasch. 

Baguoli,  hot  springs  near  Poz- 
zuoli,  Naples,  together  with  the 
natural  vapour  baths  ("  Stufe  ") 
known  as  the  Bagni  di  Nerone. 

Bagnols  les  Bains,  a  thermal 
sulphur  spring  of  feeble  mineral- 
isation (0-61  grammes  per  litre), 
temperature  95  to  105°  F.,  situated 
at  an  altitude  of  nearly  3,000  feet 
in  the  narrow  valley  of  the  Lot, 
in  the  Department  of  Lozere,  dis- 
tant from  Paris  628  kilometres, 
and  12  kilometres  from  Mende. 
The  nearest  railway  station  is 
Chadenet.  The  water  contains  a 
little  sodium  bicarbonate  (0-226) 
and  chloride  (0-142) ,  and  i  -7  c.c.  of 
sulphuretted  hydrogen. 

This  spring  has  obtained  a 
reputation  in  the  treatment  of 
chronic  cardiac  valvular  affections 
dependent  on  rheumatism,  where 
compensation  is  maintained.  The 
good  effects  are  not  referred  to 
any  special  or  direct  action  on  the 
cardiac  valves,  but  to  a  modifying 
influence  on  the  underlying  rheu- 
matic or  gouty  diathesis. 

Scrofula,  skin  affections,  and 
bronchial  catarrh  are  benefited 
there  as  at  analogous  sulphur 
springs.  The  treatment  is  chiefly 
external,  but  the  waters  are  also 
drunk.  Baths,  douches,  dry  hot- 


air  baths,  and  especially  foot  baths 
of  running  water,  are  applied  there. 

The  season  is  from  June  15  to 
Sept.  15.  It  is  hot  there  in 
summer,  but  somewhat  wide  os- 
cillations of  temperature  are  ex- 
perienced on  account  of  the  eleva- 
tion. 

Bains  (Vosges)  is  situated  be- 
tween Contrexeville  and  Plom- 
bieres.  It  has  a  station  on  the 
East  of  France  Railway,  and  is 
about  fifteen  miles  from  Epinal 
and  ten  hours  from  Paris.  It  has 
the  advantage  of  being  adjacent 
to  the  fine  forest  of  Tremonsey, 
and  is  pleasantly  situated  in  a 
valley,  1,000  feet  above  the  sea, 
through  which  the  River  Semouse 
flows. 

It  has  several  springs  and  two 
bath  establishments.  In  the  public 
baths  the  two  sexes,  appropriately 
clothed,  bathe  together.  The  tem- 
perature of  these  springs  varies 
from  84°  to  122°  F.  Their  mine- 
ralisation is  very  feeble,  about 
0-20  of  mineral  constituents  in  a 
litre,  consisting  of  sodium  sulphate 
and  chloride  and  a  little  silica. 
La  Grosse  Source  is  said  to  con- 
tain a  little  arsenic.  The  springs 
somewhat  resemble  those  of  Plom- 
bieres,  and  may  be  classed  among 
the  indifferent  thermal  baths.  Two 
of  the  springs  are  used  for  drink- 
ing, but  the  chief  use  of  these 


128 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


waters  is  for  hot  baths.  Like 
other  baths  of  this  kind  they  are 
used  and  found  beneficial  in  cases 
of  chronic  rheumatism,  muscular 
and  arthritic,  in  chronic  painful 
uterine  and  ovarian  affections,  in 
cases  of  want  of  tone  and  ex- 
haustion with  enfeebled  digestion, 
and,  as  at  Plombieres,  in  cases  of 
chronic  enteritis.  Residence  in 
agreeable  mountain  scenery,  and 
in  fresh,  pure  air  contributes  to 
the  good  results  obtained  there. 
There  is  good  accommodation  at 
the  Grand  Hotel,  connected  with 
which  are  a  casino  and  a  theatre. 
The  season  is  from  May  15  to 
Sept.  15. 

Bake  well,  in  the  Derbyshire 
Peak  district,  400  feet  above  the 
sea,  has  springs  somewhat  re- 
sembling those  of  Buxton  and 
Matlock,  but  having  a  constant 
temperature  of  60°  F.  The  supply 
is  somewhat  intermittent .  So  long 
ago  as  1697  a  bath-house  was 
erected,  and  it  has  a  large  plunge 
bath  (36  by  15  feet)  reputed  to 
be  of  Roman  construction.  The 
water  is  artificially  heated  to  sup- 
ply the  warm  baths. 

Ballynahinch,  a  cold  sulphur 
spring  in  Ulster,  seventeen  miles 
from  Belfast  by  rail.  One  of  the 
wells  has  about  3-6  vols.  per  1,000 
of  H2S.  It  has  a  local  reputation. 

Ballyspellan,  achalybeate  spring 
in  Kilkenny  County,  Ireland. 

Barbotan,  chiefly  known  as  a 
"mud"  bath,  is  situated  in  an 
out-of-the-way  part  of  France, 
with  a  station  on  the  line  from 
Nerac  to  Mont  de  Marsan  in 
the  Department  of  Gers  and  the 
commune  of  Casaubon.  It  is 
situated  at  an  altitude  of  about 
400  feet,  and  has  a  mild  climate. 

It  has  several  warm  springs  of 
very  feeble  mineralisation,  con- 
taining a  little  sulphuretted  hydro- 
gen and  sodium  sulphide,  and  one, 
cold,  contains  a  little  iron.  The 
waters  are  used  to  mix  with  the 


"vegetable  muds  "  extracted  from 
an  adjacent  marsh.  These  are 
used  warm  as  baths,  and  are 
bathed  in  in  common.  Baths  and 
douches  of  the  thermal  springs 
are  also  used,  and  the  iron  and 
sulphur  springs  are  drunk. 

The  patients  come  chiefly  from 
the  locality  itself,  and  are  sufferers 
mainly  from  chronic  rheumatism, 
stiff  joints,  neuralgias,  rickets, 
scrofulous  affections  of  the  bones 
and  joints,  chronic  uterine  mala- 
dies, syphilis,  intestinal  catarrhs, 
and  certain  torpid  skin  diseases. 
The  season  is  from  May  i  to 
Oct.  i. 

Bartfeld,  a  somewhat  inacces- 
sible Hungarian  chalybeate  spring 
in  the  Carpathians  at  the  foot  of 
the  Kamenahola.  It  has  several 
cold  gaseous  iron  springs  which 
contain  also  considerable  quan- 
tities (the  Doctorquelle)  of  sodium 
bicarbonate  (4-8  per  litre),  com- 
mon salt  (i'i),  and  a  minute 
amount  of  sodium  iodide  (o;ooi). 
There  is  a  "good  bath  establish- 
ment where  hydrotherapeutic 
treatment  is  applied.  The  springs 
are  prescribed  for  anaemia  and 
scrofulous  cases  with  dyspeptic 
symptoms.  The  combination  of 
sodium  bicarbonate  and  ferrous 
carbonate  should  be  useful  in  such 
cases.  At  an  elevation  of  1,000 
feet  above  the  sea,  Bartfeld  has 
been  suggested  as  an  after-cure 
to  Carlsbad,  Franzensbad,  etc. 
The  nearest  railway  station,  Epe- 
ries,  is  five  hours  distant,  and  the 
town  of  Bartfeld  half  an  hour. 
Its  distance  renders  it  practically 
useless  to  English  patients. 

Barzun. — See  Bareges,  to  which 
it  is  close.  The  water  is  conveyed 
to  Lux. 

Bauche,  La,  a  cold  non-gaseous 
chalybeate  spring  in  Savoy,  half 
an  hour's  drive  from  the  stations 
of  Lepin  or  Les  Echelles,  fourteen 
miles  from.  Chambery.  The  water 
is  said  to  contain  0-14  bicarbonate 


SECT.    B.] 


BENTHEIM—BIRRESBORN. 


129 


of  iron  and  0-03  of  crenate  of 
iron.  It  is  exported  and  also 
drunk  and  bathed  in  at  a  small 
establishment.  La  Bauche  is  situ- 
ated in  a  beautiful  district  at  an 
elevation  of  1,640  feet  above  the 
sea.  The  water  is  said  to  be  easily 
digested,  and  is  given  in  cases  of 
anaemia  and  chlorosis. 

Bentheim,  a  small  cold  sulphur 
spa  in  Hanover,  situated  near  the 
frontier  of  Holland  at  an  elevation 
of  about  300  feet.  The  spring 
contains  H2S  calcium  sulphate 
(1-3  grammes  per  litre)  and  sodium 
sulphate.  It  is  on  the  Hanover- 
Salzbergen-Amsterdam  line.  It  is 
mainly  frequented  by  visitors  from 
the  Netherlands.  The  water  is 
drunk  and  used  for  baths  and  in- 
halations. Mud  baths  are  also 
prepared  with  mud  brought  from 
the  neighbourhood  and  placed  in 
reservoirs  where  it  is  saturated 
with  the  sulphur  water.  The 
diseases  treated  are  gout  and  rheu- 
matism, skin  affections,  respira- 
tory and  intestinal  catarrh  and 
syphilis. 

Berg.     See  Canstatt,  p.  132. 

Berka,  a  weak  chalybeate  spa 
on  the  Ilm,  in  the  Grand  Duchy  of 
Saxe-Weimar.  It  is  a  little  town 
of  1,900  inhabitants,  situated  in  a 
valley  nearly  900  feet  above  the 
sea  and  surrounded  by  pine-clad 
hills.  The  season  is  from  May  to 
September.  It  is  also  a  climatic 
winter  resort. 

The  iron  springs  also  contain 
lime  salts.  They  are  used  for 
drinking  and  for  baths.  Other 
remedies  applied  are  mud  baths 
(the  mud  brought  from  the  Ilm 
valley  meadows),  sand,  and  pine- 
needle  baths. 

The  chief  maladies  treated  there 
are  anasmia  and  rheumatism.  The 
station  is  on  the  Weimar-Berka- 
Kranichfeld  line. 

Bibra,  a  small  chalybeate  spa 
and  summer  resort  with  feebly 
mineralised  springs,  at  an  altitude 


of  410  feet,  in  Prussian  Saxony. 
Railway  station,  Laucha,  on  the 
Naunberg-Artern  line. 

Bilin,  in  Bohemia,  a  few  miles 
from  Teplitz,  is  celebrated  for 
its  Sauerbrunn,  a  cold  alkaline 
spring,  rich  in  free  carbonic  acid 
and  largely  exported.  It  contains 
3-3  grammes  of  carbonate  of 
sodium  to  a  litre,  and  0-7  of 
sodium  sulphate ;  the  latter  gives 
it  a  slightly  aperient  quality.  It 
is  also  reported  to  contain  a  small 
amount  of  carbonate  of  lithium. 

It  is  considered  to  be  useful  in 
the  treatment  of  the  following 
maladies :  renal  calculi  and  gravel 
— especially  uric  acid  deposits  ; 
vesical  catarrh  and  certain  forms 
of  chronic  Bright's  disease ;  dys- 
peptic states,  stomach  and  intes- 
tinal catarrh  ;  slight  forms  of 
hepatic  congestion,  sluggish  flow 
of  bile,  and  hepatic  concretions 
with  or  without  jaundice  ;  catarrh- 
al  affections  of  the  respiratory 
organs ;  also  gout  and  diabetes. 

There  is  a  hydropathic  estab- 
lishment at  Bilin,  and  vapour  and 
electric  baths,  massage,  inhala- 
tions, etc.,  can  be  obtained  there. 

The  season  is  from  May  15  to 
Sept.  30. 

Birmenstorf. — At  this  Swiss  vil- 
lage, near  Schinznach,  a  purga- 
tive water  is  prepared  by  lixiviat- 
ing fragments  of  gypsum  rock, 
containing  magnesium  sulphate, 
in  water  until  it  has  attained  a 
certain  strength.  It  is  then  bot- 
tled and  exported,  when  it  is 
found  to  contain  22  grammes  of 
magnesium  sulphate  per  litre  and 
7  of  sodium  sulphate,  besides 
other  ingredients  in  small  pro- 
portions. 

Birresborn  has  a  station  between 
Cologne  and  Treves  in  Rhenish 
Prussia.  It  has  a  simple  alkaline 
gaseous  spring  with  about  2-8 
grammes  of  bicarbonate  of  soda 
in  a  litre.  It  also  contains  some 
bicarbonate  of  magnesium  and 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


sulphate  of  sodium,  so  that  it  is 
slightly  aperient.  It  has  been 
prescribed  in  dyspeptic  conditions 
associated  with  constipation.  It 
is  also  used  as  a  table  water. 

Booklet  is  a  prettily  situated 
village,  at  an  elevation  of  680 
feet,  with  chalybeate  springs,  about 
five  miles  up  the  valley  from  Kis- 
singen.  Ferruginous  mud  baths 
are  also  prepared.  It  has  a 
pleasant,  mild  climate,  and  the 
accommodation  there  is  simpler 
and  living  cheaper  than  at  the 
popular  neighbouring  spa.  It  is 
completely  surrounded  by  a  Kur- 
park  and  a  ridge  of  hills,  except 
towards  Kissingen,  and  these 
afford  numerous  agreeable  walks 
for  the  visitors.  Its  principal 
spring,  the  Stahlquelle,  contains 
O'o88  of  bicarbonate  of  iron  and 
i-o  of  sodium  chloride  per  litre, 
and  much  free  carbonic  acid  gas. 
It  also  contains  some  aperient 
constituents,  in  small  amounts, 
such  as  magnesium  sulphate  and 
chloride  and  sodium  sulphate. 

It  will  be  seen  that  it  is  a  fairly 
strong  gaseous  chalybeate  water, 
with  some  aperient  constituents. 
It  is  used  for  drinking,  bathing, 
and  gargling. 

It  is  admirably  adapted  for  the 
treatment  of  cases  of  anaemia,  asso- 
ciated with  constipation,  for  which 
a  calm,  quiet  life  is  desirable,  and 
in  such  cases  it  has  an  advantage 
over  those  chalybeate  springs  in 
which  the  iron  in  them  is  asso- 
ciated with  a  considerable  quan- 
tity of  the  astringent  carbonate  of 
lime.  It  has  also  a  sulphur  spring. 
It  is  advised  sometimes  as  an 
after-cure  to  Kissingen,  where 
these  iron  waters  are  occasionally 
drunk.  Besides  cases  of  anaemia 
and  debility,  certain  diseases  of 
women  and  cases  of  rheumatism 
are  treated. 

The  season  is  from  May  15  to 
the  end  of  September. 

Boll,  Bad-Boll.— There  are  two 


baths  of  this  name  ;  one  is  in  the 
hands  of  an  English  fishing  club, 
and  is  situated  at  an  altitude  of 
over  2,000  feet,  near  Bonndorf  in 
the  Black  Forest;  its  station  is 
Neustadt  on  the  Baden-Hollen- 
thal  Railway.  It  has  a  spring 
containing  sodium  chloride  and 
magnesium  and  calcium  sulphates 
and  carbonates,  and  some  free 
carbonic  acid.  It  is  used  for 
drinking,  bathing,  and  inhaling, 
and  mud  baths  (mud  from  Marien- 
bad)  and  pine-needle  baths  are 
also  applied.  The  water  is 
exported  after  being  artificially 
charged  with  carbonic  acid. 

It  is  reported  to  be  useful  in 
cases  of  rheumatism  and  gout,  in 
catarrhal  conditions  of  the  mucous 
membrane,  and  in  urinary  affec- 
tions and  some  forms  of  skin 
disease. 

The  season  is  from  May  i  to 
•Oct.  i. 

The  other  Bad-Boll  is  in  Wiir- 
temberg,  in  the  Filsthal,  at  an 
altitude  of  1,340  feet,  about  four 
miles  from  the  station  of  Goep- 
pingen.  It  has  a  cold  sulphur 
spring  containing  free  H2S. 

Borjom,  a  Russian  spa  (Tiflis) 
near  Abbas-Tuman,  in  the  Cau- 
casus, has  warm  simple  alkaline 
waters  (temperature  84°  F.)  con- 
taining 5-0  grammes  per  litre  of 
sodium  bicarbonate  and  a  small 
amount  of  bicarbonate  of  iron. 
It  has  been  termed  the  Russian 
Vichy. 

Borszek,  a  chalybeate  bath  in 
Transylvania,  in  the  Carpathians, 
at  an  altitude  of  nearly  3,000  feet, 
near  the  frontier  of  Roumania.  It 
"has  cold  iron  springs  (0-09  of  bi- 
carbonate of  iron),  containing 
also  alkaline-earthy  salts,  calcium, 
magnesium,  and  sodium  bicar- 
bonates  (5  grammes  of  the  mixed 
salts  per  litre).  Moor  baths  are 
also  prepared. 

Bramstedt,  a  small  cold  salt 
bath  on  the  Brame  in  Schleswig- 


SECT;   B:] 


CAMBO. 


Holstein,  on  the  Altona-Bram- 
stedt  road.  It  is  surrounded 
by  hills  and  close  to  a  forest. 
The  water  is  used  exclusively  for 
bathing  in  cases  of  gout,  rheu- 
matism, neuralgia,  and  scrofulous 
maladies. 

Season,  May  i  to  Oct.  i. 

Bremerbad,  a  simple  thermal 
spring  of  comparatively  low  ther- 
mality  at  the  summit  of  the  Bren- 
ner Pass  (4,360  feet)  in  Austrian 
Tyrol. 

Bridge  of  Allan,  three  miles 
from  Stirling,  N.B.,  has  a  cold 
salt  spring  containing  about  5-4 
grammes  per  litre  of  common  salt, 
4'4  calcium  chloride,  and  0-5  cal- 
cium sulphate.  It  is  usual  to 
heat  the  water  for  consumption, 
and  three  glasses  before  breakfast 
is  the  ordinary  dose.  It  is  said  to 
act  as  an  aperient,  and  the  spring 
has  a  local  reputation  as  of  value 
in  functional  hepatic  and  gastric 
complaints. 

Bridge  of  Earn  (Pit-Keathly), 
close  to  Perth,  has  weak  salt 
waters,  containing  free  carbonic 
acid  gas.  Artificial  waters  are 
prepared  there  and  sold  in  bottles 
under  the  designation  of  "  Pit- 


Keathly  water  "  and  "Pit-Keathly 
cum  lithia." 

Briscous  (Biarritz)  is  the  source 
of  the  common  salt  springs  sup- 
plying the  salt  baths  of  Biarritz. 
These  springs  contain  about  290 
per  mille  of  sodium  chloride,  and 
the  eau  mere  is  very  rich  in 
magnesium  chloride.  The  water 
is  heated  to  the  required  tempera- 
ture for  baths  and  douches. 

Bukowine,  a  small  cold  chaly- 
beate spa  in  Silesia.  Railway 
station,  Oels.  Containing  car- 
bonate of  iron  chiefly.  The  Agnes- 
quelle  is  used  for  drinking,  the 
Luisenquelle  is  conducted  to  the 
bath  establishment  for  the  baths. 
Mud  baths,  from  a  moor  near  at 
hand,  are  also  applied,  as  well  as 
electricity  and  hydrotherapy. 

Cases  of  chlorosis  and  anaemia, 
of  rheumatism  and  gout,  cer- 
tain skin  affections,  and  some 
chronic  forms  of  paralysis  are 
treated  there. 

Burtschied.   See  AixlaChapelle. 

Buzias,  a  Hungarian  chalybeate 
and  highly  gaseous  spring,  three 
hours  and  a-half  from  the  railway 
station  of  Temesvar,  at  an  altitude 
of  420  feet. 


Cambo  (Basses  Pyrenees),  eleven  miles  from 
Bayonne,  on  the  line  between  that  town  and  Osses, 
possesses  a  tebid  sulphur  spring  (75°  F.)  which 
contains  free  sulphuretted  hydrogen.  Its  mineral 
constituents  are  calcium  and  magnesium  sulphates, 
and  carbonates  chiefly  (1*83  per  litre).  It  also  has 
a  cold  chalybeate  spring. 

Cambo,  no  doubt,  owes  its  growing  popularity 
as  much  to  its  accessibility,  especially  from  Biarritz, 
as  to  its  pleasing  situation  and  mineral  springs. 
Those  who  have  passed  the  greater  part  of  the 
winter  at  Biarritz  find  it  an  agreeable  change,  when 
spring  comes,  to  migrate  for  a  few  weeks  to  Cambo 
and  exchange  the  Atlantic  winds,  sea  air,  and  coast 


132  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

scenery  of  the  former  place  for  the  soothing  and 
sedative  climate  of  this  sub-Pyrenean  station.  The 
river  Nive  divides  Cambo  into"  two  parts  about 
half  a  mile  distant  from  one  another,  Le  haul  Cambo 
and  Le  has  Cambo.  The  former,  where  the  hotels 
and  pensions  are  situated,  is  about  200  feet  above 
the  sea,  on  a  steep  terrace.  It  commands  a  charming 
landscape.  At  the  foot  of  the  hill  the  clear  stream 
of  the  Nive  forms  a  graceful  curve,  and  from  its 
right  bank  stretches  away  a  vast  extent  of  fertile 
fields  and  wooded  country.  On  the  other  side 
rise  the  lower  spurs  of  the  Pyrenees,  mountains 
of  no  great  height,  but  giving  variety  to  the  land- 
scape, which,  although  not  grand,  yet  presents  a 
pleasing,  cheerful,  calm  and  rusticity,  full  of  freshness 
and  delight. 

The  bath  establishment  has  the  usual  appliances 
for  the  administration  of  the  waters  internally 
and  externally.  Very  many  charming  walks  and 
excursions  can  be  made  into  the  surrounding 
district. 

The  maladies  adapted  for  treatment  at  Cambo 
are,  as  at  all  other  sulphur  baths,  those  of  lymphatic 
and  scrofulous  origin,  skin  diseases,  and  catarrh  of 
the  respiratory  passages.  Hepatic  congestions  are 
also  named  as  benefiting  by  treatment  there. 

The  season  used  to  be  reckoned  from  the  middle 
of  April  to  the  middle  of  November,  but  now,  owing 
to  the  mildness  of  its  climate,  Cambo  is  open  all  the 
year  round,  and  is  resorted  to  in  the  winter  as  well 
as  at  other  parts  of  the  year. 

Canstatt  and  Berg. — Adjacent  towns  connected 
with  Stuttgart— of  which  they  form  a  suburb — by 
a  tramway.  They  are  situated  at  an  altitude  01 
700  feet,  with  extensive  park  and  wooded  hills  in 
the  neighbourhood.  Several  springs  are  utilised, 
especially  the  Wilhelmsbrunnen  at  the  Kursaal,  and 
the  Berger-Sprudel  and  Inselquelle  between  Berg 
and  Canstatt,  on  a  small  island  in  the  Neckar, 


SECT.  B.]  CARLSBAD.  133 

They  are  tepid  weak  common  salt  (2*0  per  litre) 
and  carbonate  of  lime  (ro)  waters,  containing  much 
free  carbonic  acid  gas.  They  also  contain  some 
carbonate  of  iron,  and  are  termed  "  ferruginous  "  by 
some  authorities.  The  Berger-Sprudel  is  largely 
exported  in  bottles,  as  well  as  used  on  the  spot 
for  drink-ing  and  bathing.  Carlsbad  salt  is  some- 
times added  to  the  water  to  increase  its  laxative 
action.  The  temperature  of  the  springs  is  arti- 
ficially raised  for  bathing  purposes.  Swimming 
baths,  mud  or  Moor  baths  from  Fnmzensbad, 
and  electric  baths  also  are  provided.  The  cases 
treated  there  are  catarrh  of  the  respiratory 
organs,  gastro-intestinal  catarrh,  anaemia,  chlo- 
rosis, neurasthenia,  and  chronic  scrofulous  glandular 
affections. 

The  season  is  from  May  i5th  to  Sept.  isth. 

The  place  has  now  rather  too  much  the  character 
of  a  manufacturing  town  to  be  very  appropriate  for 
spa  treatment. 

Carlsbad.— Of  all  the  spas  of  Europe,  Carlsbad 
may  be  regarded  as  perhaps  the  most  important, 
if  we  have  regard  only  to  the  activity  of  its  mineral 
springs,  and  the  gravity  and  seriousness  of  many 
of  the  maladies  for  which  they  are  prescribed. 

It  is  one  of  the  oldest  as  well  as  one  of  the 
most  frequented  of  German  spas,  and  a  vast  con- 
course of  invalids  from  every  part  of  the  world  resort 
to  it  yearly. 

Situated  in  the  north-western  corner  of  Bohemia, 
a  few  miles  from  the  town  of  Eger,  it  is  rather  a 
long  journey  from  this  country,  but  this  is  now 
made  easy  by  the  luxurious  express  trains  en  route 
to  Vienna  via  Nuremberg. 

Carlsbad  is  situated  in  the  valley  of  the  Tepl, 
at  an  elevation  of  1,200  feet  above  the  sea.  In 
hot  seasons  the  air  in  this  narrow  valley  gets  close 
and  oppressive.  It  is  therefore  desirable  to  procure 
lodgings  on  the  hill,  in  what  is  called  the  English 


134  MINERAL    SPRINGS,  [PART  i. 

quarter,  on   the   Schlossberg,  an   eminence  situated 
just  above  the  Schlossbrunnen. 

There  is  no  table  d'hote  at  the  hotels  or  lodging- 
houses,  and  the  meals  are  usually  taken  at  the 
restaurants,  which  are  many  and  good.  The  food 
at  all  these  is  subject  to  medical  regulations  and 
supervision,  and  this  is  considered  a  not  unimportant 
part  of  the  cure.  The  dinner-hour  is  from  twelve 
to  three,  the  supper-hour  from  seven  to  eight. 
Living  is  rather  expensive  there  during  the  height 
of  the  season.  As  at  most  other  resorts  of  the 
kind,  there  is  a  free  concert  every  evening  at  the 
Kurhaus,  a  daily  theatrical  performance,  and  a  dance 
once  a  week.  The  town  of  Carlsbad  is  to  a  great 
extent  built  on  the  crust  of  a  vast  common  reservoir 
of  hot  mineral  water,  the  Sprudel-Kessel.  It 
stands  on  the  lid  of  the  kettle.  The  steam  of  this 
subterranean  cauldron  escapes  through  artificial 
apertures  made  in  the  rock,  to  prevent  the 
natural  boiler  from  bursting  ;  and,  notwithstanding 
these  artificial  vents,  the  water  has  been  known  to 
force  new  passages  for  itself.  It  is  recorded  as 
a  curious  fact  that  at  the  time  of  the  Lisbon  earth- 
quake of  1755  the  Sprudel  ceased  to  flow  for  three 
days  ! 

The  narrow  valley  in  which  these  springs  are 
found  is  surrounded  by  pine-clad  slopes,  through 
which  there  are  paths  in  all  directions  ;  and  besides 
these  agreeable  shady  promenades  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  springs,  there  are  many  pleasant  excursions, 
of  various  distances,  into  the  surrounding  country. 

The  springs  at  Carlsbad,  nineteen  or  more  in 
number,  all  contain  the  same  constituents,  and 
differ  only  in  their  temperature,  which  ranges  from 
48°  to  162-5°  F. 

The  well-known  Sprudelbrunnen,  situated  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  river,  is  the  hottest ;  it  rises 
to  a  height  of  about  three  feet  from  the  ground, 
and  every  few  minutes  will  suddenly  leap  to  a 
height  of  twenty  to  twenty-five  feet.  The  Sprudel, 


SECT.  B.]  CARLSBAD.  135 

with  some  adjacent  springs,  is  enclosed  in  a 
"  colonnade  "  ;  and  the  Muhlbrunnen  Promenade 
encloses  that  and  several  other  springs.  The  remain- 
ing springs  are  in  various  parts  of  the  town. 

Of  the  bathing  establishments  at  Carlsbad  the 
first  place  must  be  given  to  the  magnificent  and 
monumental  Kaiserbad,  one  of  the  most  perfectly 
organised  and  equipped  in  Europe. 

It  provides  all  the  most  modern  balneological 
appliances — douches  and  baths  of  all  kinds,  hot 
air  and  vapour  baths,  Franzensbad  Moor  or  mud 
baths,  pine-needle  baths,  electric  baths,  massage  of 
all  kinds,  and  a  Zander  institute  for  Swedish 
gymnastics,  etc.  Older  bathing  establishments  are 
the  Kurhaus,  the  Neubad,  and  the  Sprudelbad. 

The  band  plays  at  the  Sprudel  and  the  Muhl- 
brunnen from  6  to  8  a.m.,  and  drinking  begins  at 
a  very  early  hour.  In  the  height  of  the  season 
the  crowd  of  patients  at  the  latter  spring  is  so  great 
that  they  have  to  wait  their  turn  en  queue  for  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  at  a  time.  To  avoid  this  in- 
convenience, it  is  better  to  begin  drinking  a  little 
later  than  the  crowd,  say  7.30  or  8  o'clock,  and 
breakfast  a  little  later. 

We  have  said  that  the  composition  of  all  the 
springs  is  very  nearly  identical,  and  the  selection 
of  the  spring  suitable  to  particular  cases  is  deter- 
mined by  its  temperature  and  the  amount  of  free 
carbonic  acid  it  contains.  The  Sprudel,  being  the 
hottest  (162-5°  F.),  contains  the  least  carbonic 
acid.  The  two  chief  constituents  of  the  Carlsbad 
springs  are  the  aperient  sodium,  sulphate  (2*4 
grammes  per  litre)  and  the  alkaline  sodium  bicar- 
bonate (i'2),  and  the  next  in  importance  is  sodium 
chloride  (ro). 

The  springs  in  chief  repute  at  Carlsbad  are  the 
Sprudel,  the  Marktbrunnen  (104°  F.),  the  Muhl- 
brunnen (124-5°  F.),  and  the  Schlossbrunnen 
(127°  F.). 

The  Carlsbad  cure  is  indicated  in  many  serious 


136  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

maladies,  and  great  benefit  often  results  from  passing 
one  or  more  seasons  there.  It  is  especially  advan- 
tageous in  diseases  caused  by  defective  oxidation 
and  an  insufficient  elimination  of  effete  matters. 

It  is  particularly  useful  in  certain  derangements 
to  which  gouty  persons  and  free  livers  are  prone ; 
in  cases  of  "  abdominal  plethora,"  that  is,  of  passive 
engorgement  of  the  liver  and  of  the  intestinal 
vessels,  with  a  consequent  tendency  to  chronic 
gastric  and  intestinal  catarrh,  with  or  without 
diarrhoea.  Such  persons  often  suffer  from  a  severe 
form  of  dyspepsia,  with  much  stomach  pain  and 
flatulency,  occasional  vomiting  in  the  morning,  and 
obstinate  constipation,  with  a  disposition  to  haemor- 
rhoids ;  or  there  may  be  a  tendency  to  frequent 
incomplete  action  of  the  bowels.  Such  cases  derive 
much  benefit  from  a  carefully  directed  course  of 
the  Carlsbad  waters.  If  there  should  be  chronic 
intestinal  catarrh  (diarrhoea)  it  is  usual  to  begin  with 
quite  small  doses  of  the  water,  three  ounces,  or  even 
less. 

The  Carlsbad  cure  is  specially  adapted  to  cases 
of  jaundice,  either  catarrhal  or  dependent  on  the 
presence  of  gallstones  ;  also  to  cases  where  there  is  a 
tendency  to  the  formation  and  passage  of  gallstones, 
or  biliary  sand,  or  to  the  formation  of  thick, 
inspissated  bile,  although  there  may  be  no  notable 
jaundice. 

The  Carlsbad  course  greatly  diminishes  the  fre- 
quency and  violence  of  attacks  of  biliary  colic,  even 
if  it  does  not  altogether  arrest  them.  Gallstones  are 
often  passed  during  the  course  of  treatment  there, 
and  it  seems  reasonable  to  believe  that  one  of  the 
effects  of  drinking  the  hot  alkaline  water  is  to 
stimulate  a  healthier  secretion  and  promote  the  out- 
flow of  a  thinner  bile  from  the  bile  ducts.  Enlarge- 
ments of  the  liver,  due  to  passive  engorgement, 
from  over-feeding  and  insufficient  exercise,  a  con- 
dition frequently  associated  with  haemorrhoids,  are 
suitably  treated  there. 


SECT.  B.]  CARLSBAD.  137 

Enlargements  of  the  liver  and  spleen,  induced  by 
exposure  to  malaria  in  hot  climates,  and  associated 
with  constipation,  find  relief  at  Carlsbad.  In  short, 
the  Carlsbad  waters  are  indicated  in  all  functional 
hepatic  disorders  and  even  in  the  early  stages  of 
alcoholic  cirrhosis  they  may  be  found  most  useful. 

Cases  .of  gravel  (uric  acid  deposits)  and  renal 
calculi,  if  connected  with  hepatic  congestion  and 
constipation  and  accompanied  with  catarrhal  con- 
ditions of  the  bladder,  are  benefited  by  treatment 
there,  but  cases  of  uric  acid  deposit  and  renal  calculi 
pure  and  simple,  without  any  hepatic  disorder  and 
in  feeble  persons,  are  better  suited  to  Vichy  or 
Contrexeville. 

No  doubt  the  general  gouty  condition  itself, 
apart  from  the  particular  modes  in  which  it  may 
express  itself,  is  in  most  instances  ameliorated  by 
the  Carlsbad  course  ;  this  is  strikingly  seen  in  the 
case  of  the  periodical  headaches  often  associated 
with  the  gouty  constitution. 

The  Carlsbad  waters  are  great  and  powerful 
purifiers  of  the  body,  great  eliminators.  If  bathing 
be  associated  with  the  internal  consumption  of  the 
waters  we  submit  the  organism  to  a  threefold  purify- 
ing influence,  for  while  the  hot  mineral  baths  stimu- 
late the  excretory  functions  of  the  skin,  the  internal 
use  of  the  waters  greatly  promotes  the  discharge  of 
effete  substances  through  the  evacuations  of  the 
intestinal  canal  and  the  kidneys  ;  in  this  manner 
the  blood  and  the  tissues  of  the  body  become 
cleansed  of  retained  effete  and  excrementitious  sub- 
stances. 

Carlsbad,  on  account  of  this  effect  of  its  waters, 
enjoys  the  reputation  of  reducing  corpulence,  and 
it  does,  no  doubt,  lead  to  a  moderate  diminution  of 
fat ;  but  unless  a  very  strict  diet  be  followed,  after 
as  well  as  during  the  course,  the  fat  readily 
returns. 

Carlsbad  has  a  special  reputation  for  the  treat- 
ment of  diabetes,  and  there  is  no  doubt  whatever  that 


138  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  T, 

it  leads  to  a  very  great  improvement  in  many  cases, 
and  to  a  temporary  or  permanent  cure  in  others.  It  is 
in  the  gouty  or  fat  diabetics  that  it  is  of  such  special 
service.  It  is  of  little  or  no  value  in  the  grave  form 
as  it  occurs  in  young  subjects. 

The  quantity  of  water  necessary  to  be  drunk 
will  naturally  vary  with  the  nature  of  the  malady 
and  the  constitution  of  the  patient.  Very  large 
quantities  of  water  such  as  were  at  one  time  taken 
are  no  longer  prescribed.  From  two  to  six  glasses 
a  day  are  sufficient  for  all  but  quite  exceptional  cases  ; 
and  any  excessive  aperient  action  of  the  waters 
should  at  once  be  taken  as  an  indication  for  lowering 
the  dose  or  suspending  the  course  for  a  day  or  two. 
In  some  instances  the  water  has  no  aperient  effect, 
and  it  is  a  common  practice  to  add  some  of  the 
Sprudel  salt  to  the  water  of  the  spring  to  give  it  a 
laxative  action.  It  has  also  been  observed  that  the 
hotter  springs  are  less  laxative  than  the  cooler  ones, 
and  it  has  been  suggested  that  for  laxative  purposes 
the  waters  of  the  Sprudel  should  be  obtained  the 
evening  before  and  drunk  cold  in  the  morning. 

As  much  exercise  as  possible  in  the  open  air  is 
usually  prescribed  by  the  Carlsbad  doctors,  and  this, 
together  with  the  strict  regulation  of  the  diet  there, 
contributes  considerably  to  the  good  results  usually 
obtained,  but  the  prescription  of  much  physical 
exercise  must  not  be  too  universally  given,  as  there 
are  not  a  few  patients  for  whom  the  Carlsbad  course 
may  be  fitly  ordered  who  need  complete  physical 
rest,  and  with  whom  the  success  of  the  cure  would  be 
seriously  compromised  by  indiscreet  efforts  at  physical 
exercise. 

The  springs  at  Carlsbad  may  be  resorted  to  at 
any  period  of  the  year ;  the  season,  however,  may 
be  regarded  as  extending  from  April  to  October. 
Diabetic  patients  who  might  with  advantage  take 
the  waters  twice  a  year  are  advised  to  visit  Carlsbad 
in  April  or  May,  and  again  in  October.  It  is  suggested 
that  the  more  robust  and  vigorous  patients  should 


SECT.  B.]  CARLSBAD.  139 

come  in  the  cooler  months  of  April,  May,  September, 
and  October,  and  the  feebler  sort  in  June,  July,  and 
August. 

The  length  of  the  course  varies  from  three  to  six 
weeks,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  disease,  the  age 
and  strength  of  the  patient,  and  the  observed  effect 
of  the  waters. 

Much  discredit  is  occasionally  brought  upon 
the  Carlsbad  course  by  sending  patients  there 
who  are  the  subjects  of  undiagnosed  malignant 
gastric,  hepatic,  or  abdominal  disease,  or  persons  in 
very  feeble,  broken-down  condition ;  when  such 
patients  succumb,  as  they  are  very  likely  to  do, 
either  at  Carlsbad  or  soon  after  leaving  it,  the  course 
there  is  given  the  credit  of  killing  them  ! 

It  is  considered  important  that  those  who  intend 
submitting  themselves  to  the  Carlsbad  cure  should 
adopt  a  careful  and  rational  diet  some  time  before,  as 
well  as  after  the  course.  It  is  also  suggested  that  a 
few  bottles  of  Carlsbad  water  or  a  few  doses  of 
the  Carlsbad  salts  should  be  taken,  at  home,  for  a 
week  or  ten  days  before  setting  out  for  the  spa ; 
and  rest,  mental  and  physical,  is  recommended 
during  that  period. 

Although  it  is  a  rule  at  Carlsbad  to  drink  the 
waters  early  in  the  morning,  before  breakfast,  and 
only  then,  it  is  quite  permissible  and  even  advisable 
for  persons  who  cannot  digest  the  waters  well  on  an 
empty  stomach,  to  take  a  cup  of  tea,  or  coffee,  or 
thin  cocoa,  or  beef-tea  half  an  hour  before  they 
commence  drinking  the  waters.  The  warmer  the 
spring  the  more  slowly  should  it  be  drunk  or  sipped, 
and  an  interval  of  a  quarter  to  half  an  hour  should  be 
allowed  between  each  glass.  After  the  last  glass  of 
water  an  hour's  walk  before  breakfast  is  recom- 
mended ;  only,  of  course,  when  the  patient  is  strong 
enough  to  take  such  exercise  with  advantage. 

In  those  exceptional  cases  which  require  unusually 
large  doses  of  the  water,  it  is  best  to  drink  them  at 
separate  times  of  the  day,  at  midday  and  from  4  to 


HO  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

6  p.m.,  as  well  as  in  the  early  morning.  A  glass  may 
also  be  taken  cold  at  bedtime. 

Patients  should  clothe  themselves  warmly  for 
the  early  dose  of  water,  so  that  the  action  of  the 
skin,  which  the  warm  drink  promotes,  may  not  be 
checked.  The  baths  are  best  taken  in  the  forenoon, 
about  an  hour  and  a-half  or  two  hours  after  break- 
fast. Repose  before  and  after  the  bath  is  desirable. 

In  many  cases  it  is  a  decided  advantage  to  take 
the  course  for  two  or  three  consecutive  seasons. 

The  diet  at  Carlsbad  is  adapted  by  the  physicians 
to  each  case  ;  the  following  may  be  taken  as  an 
average  one  : — 

Breakfast :  Coffee,  tea,  or  weak  cocoa,  and  two 
or  three  small  milk  or  water  rolls,  not  more,  to  which 
may  be  added  one  or  two  soft-boiled  eggs  if  required. 

It  is  usual  to  call  at  the  baker's  for  one's  rolls, 
which  are  very  well  made,  and  take  them  in  a  little 
bag  into  the  adjacent  woods,  where  restaurants  are 
placed  at  convenient  distances. 

Dinner  :  Soup,  one  or  two  light  dishes  of  meat, 
or  fish,  or  poultry,  or  game,  fresh  vegetables  in  small 
quantity,  mashed  potatoes  or  stewed  fruit.  Only 
the  lightest  kind  of  puddings,  in  small  quantities,  are 
allowable.  One  glass  of  claret,  or  one  glass  of 
Pilsener  beer. 

It  is  usual  at  Carlsbad  to  drink  freely  of  a  very 
excellent  cold  gaseous  spring  in  the  neighbourhood, 
which  is  bottled  for  table  use  and  for  exportation, 
the  Giesshubler-Sauerbrunn. 

A  cup  of  coffee,  with  or  without  a  small  roll,  is 
allowed  in  the  afternoon. 

Supper  :  Soup,  or  two  soft-boiled  eggs,  or  a  small 
quantity  of  freshly  roasted  meat. 

There  is,,  of  course,  a  special  diet  for  diabetics. 

It  is  by  no  means  unimportant  that  the  patient 
should,  after  the  Carlsbad  cure,  continue  more  or  less 
closely,  for  a  few  weeks,  the  regime  which  he  has 
followed  there,  and  it  is  often  highly  advantageous 
and  in  some  cases  really  necessary  to  pass  two  or 


SECT.  B.]  CAUTERETSi  141 

three  weeks  at  some  sub-alpine  health  resort  in 
Switzerland  or  the  Tyrol,  or  the  Black  Forest,  where 
a  quiet  out-of-door  life  in  pure  air  can  be  enjoyed. 

Cauterets  (Hautes  Pyrenees),  with  its  numerous 
thermal  sulphur  springs,  is  one  of  the  most  popular 
of  Pyrenean  spas  when  regarded  from  a  purely 
medical  point  of  view.  It  is  not  a  resort  of  fashion 
and  pleasure  like  Luchon,  but  most  of  the  visitors 
to  Cauterets  come  with  a  serious  purpose.  There 
is  a  business-like  look  about  everybody  at  Cauterets. 
The  patients  look  graver  than  usual,  and  more  bent 
than  usual  on  carrying  out  with  business-like  accuracy 
the  details  of  the  cure.  "  Nos  eaux  sont  des  eaux 
serieuses,"  is  the  grave  utterance  of  all  the  doctors 
and  other  people  interested  in  and  engaged  at 
Cauterets.  The  atmosphere,  too,  seems  a  little 
heavy  and  business-like,  and  lacks  that  light  and 
exhilarating  tone  observable  at  Luchon. 

Cauterets  is  reached  by  an  electric  railway, 
which  continues  the  regular  line  from  its  terminus 
at  Pierrefitte.  From  Pierrefitte  to  Cauterets  is  a 
distance  of  about  seven  miles.  The  road  ascends 
nearly  the  whole  of  the  way,  through  a  picturesque 
valley,  dominated  by  lofty  peaks,  rugged  and  wild 
in  parts.  As  we  approach  Cauterets  the  valley 
widens,  and  finally  discloses  the  town  situated  at 
the  bottom  of  a  narrow  basin,  surrounded  nearly 
on  all  sides  by  lofty  summits  frowning  down  from 
immense  heights  on  the  small  town  which  lies 
crouched  between  their  bases.  Several  mountain 
valleys  open  into  this  basin,  and  invite  to  wild  and 
picturesque  excursions  into  the  very  heart  of  the 
Pyrenees  ;  none  of  them  are  carriage  roads  except 
that  leading  to  Pierrefitte. 

One  of  the  most  celebrated  of  these  excursions 
is  to  the  Pont  d'Espagne  and  the  Lac  de  Gaube, 
a  three  hours'  walk  from  Cauterets.  Cauterets  is 
thus  quite  in  the  mountains,  its  elevation  being  a 
little  over  3,000  feet ;  its  climate,  however,  is 


142  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I. 

scarcely  so  bracing  as  might  be  expected  in  a  place 
of  this  elevation.  It  is  so  much  shut  in  on  all  sides 
by  high  mountains  that  it  is  capable  of  becoming 
very  hot  and  close  in  certain  conditions  of  the 
atmosphere.  The  mornings  and  evenings  are,  how- 
ever, fresh  and  pleasant,  especially  before  the  end 
of  June  and  after  August.  The  basin  of  Cauterets 
is  very  prone,  like  other  places  of  this  medium 
elevation,  to  become  somewhat  suddenly  filled  with 
clouds,  which  may  linger  long,  and  give  rather  a 
dull  and  sad  aspect  to  the  little  town.  The  climate 
is  also  rainy,  and  subject  to  sudden  changes  of 
temperature. 

The  reputation  of  Cauterets  as  a  health  resort  is 
very  ancient.  M.  Taine  tells  us  that  Julius  Caesar  is 
said  to  have  been  restored  to  health  by  the  spring 
named  after  him  "  Cesar,"  and  Abarca,  king  of 
Aragon,  by  the  spring  on  that  account  named  "  du 
Roi."  It  was  here  that  Marguerite  de  Navarre, 
sister  of  Franc, ois  I.,  a  distinguished  example  of  the 
race  of  "  superior  women,"  wrote  the  chief  part  of 
the  Heptameron.  She  came  here  with  "her  court, 
her  poets,  her  musicians,"  interested  in  all  subjects, 
reading  Greek,  learning  Hebrew,  and  delighting  in 
theological  discussion  ;  at  the  same  time  tender 
and  simple  :  "  Une  imagination  mesuree,  un  cceur  de 
femme  devoue  et  inepuisable  en  devouments,  beau- 
coup  de  naturel,  de  clarte,  d'aisance,  1'art  de  conter 
et  de  sourire,  la  malice  agreable  et  jamais  mechante." 
Such  is  the  attractive  picture  M.  Taine  gives  of 
Marguerite  de  Navarre  at  Cauterets. 

The  waters  of  Cauterets  are  sulphur  waters,  like 
those  of  Luchon,  but  they  are  considered  to  be 
milder  in  their  action  and  more  sedative.  They  are 
efficacious,  like  those  of  Luchon,  in  diseases  of  the 
skin,  in  scrofulous  affections,  in  chronic  throat  ail- 
ments, and  especially  in  chronic  diseases  of  the 
respiratory  organs.  The  testimony  of  the  leading 
physicians  there  is  so  strong  in  favour  of  the  great 
amelioration  that  certain  cases  of  consumption 


SECT.  B.]  CAUTERETS.  143 

undergo  at  Cauterets  that  it  must,  we  think,  take 
rank  amongst  the  health  resorts  to  which  persons 
who  are  afflicted  with  chronic  torpid  forms  of  con- 
sumption may  be  sent. 

There  are  a  great  number  of  mineral  springs  at 
Cauterets,  and  several  bath  establishments,  some  of 
which,  notably  the  Cesar,  are  most  elaborately  fitted 
with  every  appliance  that  modern  science  has 
suggested  in  the  use  of  mineral  springs — douches  of 
all  kinds,  inhalation  and  pulverisation  chambers, 
besides  baths  of  every  description. 

The  temperature  of  the  stronger  springs  varies 
from  96°  to  136°  F.,  and  their  characteristic  in- 
gredient is  sodium  sulphide  0*02  per  litre  in  the 
strongest.  The  hottest  'springs  are  used  chiefly 
for  the  baths,  and  for  inhalation  and  pulverisation 
chambers. 

The  source,  however,  which  is  especially  valued 
for  internal  administration  is  La  Railliere.  It  is 
really  curious  to  encounter  the  long  procession  of 
drinkers  coming  away  from  the  Railliere  spring, 
which  is  situated  at  some  little  distance  from  the 
town  ;  each,  young  and  old,  sucking  a  stick  of  "  sucre 
d'orge  a  1'eau  de  Cauterets."  It  is  said  that  ten 
thousand  sticks  of  barley  sugar  are  sold  each  day 
during  the  season  !  It  is  impossible  to  explain  satis- 
factorily how  the  small  quantity  (sometimes  only 
four  or  five  tablespoonfuls  twice  a  day)  of  this  some- 
what feebly  mineralised  sulphur  spring  can  produce 
the  remarkable  curative  effects  that  are  claimed  for 
it.  But  there  seems  no  doubt  that  many  chronic 
catarrhal  conditions  are  greatly  benefited  or  cured 
there. 

Gargling  with  the  Railliere  or  other  springs  is 
much  practised  at  Cauterets,  and  its  chief  speciality 
is  undoubtedly  the  treatment  of  chronic  nasal, 
pharyngeal,  laryngeal,  and  bronchial  catarrhs.  The 
Source  Manhourat,  close  to  the  Railliere,  only  con- 
tains one-half  the  amount  of  sodium  sulphide 
contained  in  the  latter.  It  is  only  used  for  drinking, 


144  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I. 

and  is  regarded  as  being  of  special  value  in  some 
forms  of  dyspepsia  and  uric  acid  deposits. 

The  St.  Sauveur  spring  is  one  of  the  feebler  group, 
which  are  prone  to  undergo  what  is  termed  "  de- 
generation "  because  of  the  tendency  to  oxidation  of 
the  sulphur  in  them  and  the  formation  of  sulphites 
and  hyposulphites.  This  spring  is  considered  to 
have  a  more  sedative  effect  than  the  members  of  the 
stronger  group,  and  is  therefore  used  in  the  treatment 
of  dysmenorrhceal  states  as  well  as  other  female 
maladies — it  is  said  with  much  benefit. 

Many  other  diseases  have  been  enumerated  as 
suitable  for  treatment  at  Cauterets ;  amongst  these 
are  the  common  forms  of  rheumatism,  and  the 
douche-massage  as  practised  at  Aix  is  applied  to  the 
treatment  of  such  cases.  Myalgias,  neuralgias,  and 
painful  visceral  affections  associated  with  or  dependent 
upon  the  rheumatic  diathesis  are  considered  as  suit- 
able for  treatment  by  these  waters.  We  may  add 
the  scrofulous  and  cutaneous  affections  usually 
benefited  by  thermal  sulphur  baths,  those  at 
Cauterets  being  more  especially  adapted  to  cases 
requiring  more  sedative  and  less  exciting  treatment 
than  they  could  find  at  certain  other  sulphide  of 
sodium  springs. 

The  season  is  from  June  ist  to  Oct.  ist,  but 
the  best  time  for  the  treatment  is  between  June 
1 5th  and  Sept.  i5th. 

There  are  all  the  usual  amusements  and  resources 
provided  in  a  French  spa.  It  is  876  kilometres  from 
Paris. 

Challes. — This  important  source  is  of  com- 
paratively recent  discovery,  and  rises  in  a  very 
picturesque  district  at  an  altitude  of  900  feet,  about 
three  miles  by  steam  tramway  from  Chambery 
Station,  and  within  an  easy  journey  of  Aix  les  Bains. 
It  is  sheltered  by  mountains  from  the  north  and 
north-east  winds ;  while  the  south  wind  comes  to  it 
cooled  by  its  passage  over  the  glaciers  of  the  Alps. 


SECT.  B.]  CHALLES.  145 

The  Challes  water  is  an  exceptionally  strong  cold 
sulphur  water.  It  is  on  this  account  largely  pre- 
scribed by  the  physicians  at  Aix  as  an  important 
adjunct  to  the  treatment  pursued  there  ;  it  is  also 
added  to  the  baths  there  when  it  is  thought  desirable 
to  increase  the  amount  of  sulphur  in  them.  The 
sulphur  in  the  Challes  water  calculated  as  sulphide  of 
sodium  amounts  to  0*513  grammes  per  litre;  it  also 
has  i  gramme  of  bicarbonate  of  sodium,  iodide 
(0*012),  bromide  (0*004),  and  chloride  (0*155)  of 
sodium. 

The  amount  of  water  yielded  by  the  spring  is 
limited  to  4,000  to  5,000  litres  a  day,  so  that  its 
bathing  establishment  is  necessarily  restricted  ;  it  is, 
however,  very  well  fitted  up,  and  contains  inhalation, 
gargling,  irrigation,  and  pulverisation  chambers  in  addi- 
tion to  the  ordinary  baths  and  douches.  Treatment 
by  pulverisation,  inhalation,  irrigation,  and  gargling 
of  the  nasal,  pharyngeal,  and  laryngeal  cavities  for 
the  various  forms  of  chronic  catarrh  with  which 
patients  are  liable  to-be  affected  is  one  of  the  chief 
specialities  at  Challes.  It  is  also  suitable  for  the 
treatment  of  some  forms  of  chronic  bronchial  catarrh. 

This  water  is  especially  valuable  in  scrofulous 
affections  of  the  skin  (eczema,  acne,  etc.)  and  other 
organs  ;  in  goitre,  in  chronic  glandular  enlargements, 
in  chronic  ulcers,  in  scrofulous  disease  of  bones,  in 
constitutional  syphilis,  and,  as  has  been  said,  in 
chronic  inflammation  of  the  nose  (ozaena)  and  throat, 
especially  in  tuberculous  or  scrofulous  persons.  The 
treatment  of  chronic  rheumatism  is  also  undertaken 
there.  The  water  of  the  spring  is  usually  diluted 
with  ordinary  hot  water  in  the  preparation  of  the 
baths.  Very  small  doses  of  the  Challes  water  are 
usually  given  at  the  commencement  of  the  cure, 
about  two  or  three  ounces  daily,  which  is  gradually 
increased. 

For  all  these  purposes  the  Challes  water  can  be 
taken  at  Aix  alone  or  in  combination  with  the  Aix 
treatment ;  but  those  who  prefer  to  reside  at  Challes 


146  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

can  obtain  good  accommodation  in  the  old  chateau 
there,  which  has  been  converted  into  a  hotel.  It  has 
a  picturesque  situation  and  commands  a  fine  view  of 
the  Alps  of  Dauphine  and  the  surrounding  country  ; 
many  interesting  excursions  can  be  made  from  it. 

The  bath  establishment  is  open  from  May  i5th  to 
Oct.  1 5th,  but  the  best  season  is  from  June  loth  to 
Sept.  1 5th.  The  place  is  growing  in  importance 
and  reputation.  The  accommodation  to  be  obtained 
is  good,  and  the  prices  are  moderate. 

Chatelguyon  (Auvergne),  in  the  Department 
of  Puy  de  Dome,  is  a  small  town,  picturesquely 
situated  at  an  elevation  of  1,300  feet  above  the 
sea,  seven  hours  from  Paris,  about  four  miles  from 
the  railway  station  of  Riom,  which  is  within  half 
an  hour  by  train  of  Clermont-Ferrand.  It  has  several 
warm  mineral  springs  of  a  temperature  varying  from 
82°  to  95°  F.  Its  climate  is  mildly  tonic. 

The  water  is  rich  in  free  carbonic  acid  gas,  so 
that  in  the  baths  the  skin  becomes  covered  with 
bubbles  of  this  gas,  which  have  a  stimulating  effect 
on  the  surface.  These  baths  are  said  to  produce 
both  a  tonic  and  a  soothing  effect. 

The  mineralisation  of  these  springs  amounts  to 
about  8  grammes  of  solids  to  the  litre.  Magnesium 
chloride  (1*563)  being  regarded  as  the  dominating 
and  characteristic  ingredient,  sodium  chloride  (1*633), 
calcium  bicarbonate  (2*177)  and  sulphate  (0*49), 
sodium  bicarbonate  (0*955),  potassium  (0*253)  and 
lithium  bicarbonate  (0*0194),  are  present,  as  well  as 
bicarbonate  of  iron  (0*0685),  a  valuable  addition. 
It  will  be  noted  that  there  are  between  three  and 
four  grammes  of  chlorides  to  the  litre.  It  is  upon 
the  presence  of  these  chlorides  that  the  special 
application  of  the  springs  depends.  There  is  but 
little  difference  in  the  composition  of  the  different 
springs,  but  they  vary  in  temperature.  The  Source 
Gubler  is  the  only  one  bottled  for  exportation. 
The  waters  are  given  internally  and  used  externally 


SECT.  B.]  CH^TELGUYON.  147 

in  a  variety  of  ways  ;  they  are  employed  for  lavages 
of  the  stomach,  for  intestinal  irrigations,  and  as  baths 
and  douches.  The  doses  drunk  vary  greatly,  accord- 
ing to  the  effect  it  is  desired  to  produce,  but  small 
quantities  are  preferred  by  most  of  the  bath 
physicians — from  five  to  fifteen  or  sixteen  ounces 
daily,  divided  into  three  or  four  portions,  and  drunk 
at  intervals  of  fifteen  to  thirty  minutes. 

The  baths  are  given  of  "running"  water,  of  a 
temperature  of  about  80°  to  90°  F.,  and  as  it  pro- 
ceeds directly  from  the  spring,  it  preserves  all  its 
natural  qualities,  and  its  full  amount  of  carbonic 
acid  gas.  There  are  very  complete  and  convenient 
arrangements  for  hot  and  cold  douches  and  for 
intestinal  irrigations.  Lavages  d'estomac  and  intes- 
tinal irrigations  are  specialities  of  Chatelguyon. 
Massage  and  electrical  treatment  are  also  frequently 
employed. 

These  waters  are  said  to  increase  all  the  intestinal 
secretions,  and  so  act  as  laxatives  and  relieve  con- 
gestion of  the  portal  system  and  the  organs  tribu- 
tary to  it.  It  is  especially  employed  in  diseases 
of  the  gastro-intestinal  canal  and  abdominal  viscera, 
atonic  dyspepsia  and  stomach  dilatation,  gastric 
catarrh,  chronic  constipation  in  anaemic  and  gouty 
subjects,  and  in  cases  of  portal  congestion,  chronic 
appendicitis,  and  haemorrhoids  ;  in  the  atonic  form  of 
muco-membranous  enterocolitis,  accompanied  by  con- 
stipation ;  in  functional  hepatic  disease,  torpor,  con- 
gestion, and  biliary  concretions ;  in  lithiasis  when 
the  kidneys  are  sound,  and  in  albuminuria,  congestive 
or  dietetic,  and  when  not  dependent  on  organic 
changes  in  the  kidneys ;  in  certain  uterine  affec- 
tions, metritis,  ulcerations  of  the  cervix,  and  simple 
ovarian  congestion  ;  in  gouty  glycosuria,  and  other 
atonic  gouty  conditions,  and  in  some  forms  of 
neurasthenia.  The  secondary  effects  of  malarial 
fevers  and  of  residence  in  tropical  countries,  such  as 
anaemias,  dysenteries,  hepatic  congestions,  etc.,  do 
well  there.  Chatelguyon  also  claims  to  be  of 


148  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I, 

service  in  certain  affections  of  children,  e.g.  anaemic 
children  with  faulty  digestion,  children  of  gouty 
antecedents,  with  feeble  circulation  and  tendency 
to  constipation,  convalescents  from  acute  disease, 
and  young  girls  at  the  approach  of  puberty. 

The  season  is  from  May  I5th  to  Oct.  i5th. 

There  is  good  accommodation  for  visitors,  and 
there  are  many  pleasing  excursions  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood. There  are  the  usual  amusements — casino, 
theatre,  club,  etc. 

Cheltenham,  in  the  Severn  valley  in  Gloucester- 
shire, at  an  altitude  of  150  feet,  possesses  springs 
containing  the  aperient  sulphates  of  magnesium 
and  sodium,  combined  with  common  salt.  It  has 
also  chalybeate  waters.  It  is  about  three  and  a- 
half  hours  from  London,  and  is  an  attractive  resi- 
dential and  educational  centre.  The  Cots  wold  Hills 
afford  it  a  protection  from  easterly  winds.  It  is  a 
favourite  resort  for  those  who  have  lived  long  in 
tropical  climates,  and  who  have  families  to  educate. 
Being  built  on  the  level,  it  affords  convenience  for 
walking  exercise  for  those  who  wish  to  avoid  up- 
hill walks. 

Cheltenham  had  a  great  popularity  as  a  spa 
a  century  or  more  ago,  when  Continental  resorts 
of  the  same  kind  were  but  little  known  in  this 
country,  and  when  travelling  abroad  was  very 
costly  and  difficult.  As  facilities  for  travelling 
became  developed,  and  the  knowledge  of  the  re- 
sources and  attractions  of  foreign  spas  became 
spread  abroad,  the  popularity  of  Cheltenham  de- 
clined. A  revival  appears  to  be  at  hand,  as  local 
enterprise  is  being  directed  to  the  provision  of  those 
developments  which  the  requirements  of  modern 
balneology  and  hydro-mineral  therapeutics  seem  to 
necessitate. 

Its  climate  appears  to  be  fairly  bracing.  The 
mean  annual  temperature  is  47* i°  F.  July  is  the 
warmest  month  with  a  mean  of  61*3°,  and 


SECT.  B.]    CHELTENHAM— CONTREXEVILLE.        149 

January  is  the  coldest  with  a  mean  of  36*3°.  The 
average  number  of  rainy  days  is  189,  of  which 
October  has  the  greatest  number  and  March  the 
smallest.  The  mean  annual  rainfall  is  29*84  inches. 

There  are  numerous  wells  at  Cheltenham  utilised 
for  drinking. 

The  magnesia-saline  wells  (Chadnor  Villa  Well 
and  the  Cottage  Well)  contain  the  aperient  mag- 
nesium sulphate  (about  175  grammes  per  litre) 
and  sodium  sulphate  (in  rather  less  amount),  and 
sodium  chloride  (0*4406  per  litre).  The  other  chief 
constituents  are  sulphate  and  carbonate  of  lime. 
There  are  also  small  amounts  of  potassium  sulphate 
and  sodium  silicate,  and  minute  quantities  of  other 
constituents.  The  soda-saline  waters  (the  three 
Pittville  springs)  contain  a  small  amount  of  sodium 
bicarbonate,  a  considerable  amount  of  sodium 
chloride  (up  to  7*0  grammes  per  litre),  and  sodium 
sulphate  (up  to  2*2  grammes  per  litre),  but  no 
magnesium  sulphate. 

The  chalybeate  spring  (Cambray  iron  water), 
according  to  an  old  analysis,  contains  about  0*1 
carbonate  of  iron  per  litre. 

The  chief  specialisation  in  the  therapeutic  uses 
of  these  springs  is  suggested  to  be  their  applica- 
bility to  the  treatment  of  the  "  deleterious  effects 
of  residence  in  hot  climates,  and  the  dyspepsia  and 
renal  and  cutaneous  affections  attendant  upon 
gout "  (Wilson). 

Contrex^ville  (Vosges).— The  best  known  of 
the  Vosges  spas,  Contrexeville,  may  be  well  taken  as 
the  type  of  the  class  of  cold  earthy  calcareous  waters. 
It  has  long  enjoyed  a  European  celebrity.  Contrexe- 
ville has  been  described  as  "  in  the  heart  of  the 
Vosges,"  but  this  is  scarcely  correct.  The  higher 
mountains  of  the  Vosges  are  at  a  considerable 
distance  from  it.  It  lies  on  those  westein  slopes 
of  the  chain  which  descend  by  a  very  gentle  inclin- 
ation towards  Belfort  and  the  plateau  of  Langres ; 


150  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  l- 

and  a  branch  line  connecting  the  latter  town  with 
Epinal  and  Nancy  passes  by  it.  It  is  easily  acces- 
sible from  all  parts,  and  can  be  reached  in  about 
sixteen  hours  from  London  through  Paris  or  Rheims. 

The  village  and  springs  of  Contrexeville  are  situ- 
ated in  a  valley,  or  hollow,  below  the  level  of  the 
surrounding  country,  although  at  an  elevation  of  1,100 
feet  above  the  sea.  The  village  itself  is  altogether 
unattractive. 

The  Etablissement  des  Bains,  with  its  hotel, 
casino,  and  theatre,  is  enclosed  in  a  small  park  and 
surrounded  by  gardens  and  pleasure-grounds,  prettily 
laid  out  and  well  arranged  for  the  purposes  it  has 
to  serve.  The  climate  of  the  valley  partakes  of 
that  of  the  Vosges  generally  in  being  subject  to 
sudden  changes  of  temperature,  which  must  be 
guarded  against  by  suitable  clothing. 

There  is  a  considerable  rainfall,  and  a  good 
number  of  rainy  days,  and  the  sky  is  often  overcast 
and  cloudy.  At  other  times,  owing  to  the  confined 
situation,  the  air  is  hot  and  relaxing. 

The  Pavilion  is  the  chief  spring,  and  it  yields  a 
very  great  quantity  of  water — 200,000  litres  a  day. 
This  is  exported  in  enormous  quantities,  and  its 
virtues  give  to  Contrexeville  its  great  reputation. 
There  are  other  springs  of  nearly  the  same  com- 
position, which  are  used  chiefly  to  supply  the  baths. 
A  water  possessing  such  remarkable  virtues  would 
naturally  be  expected  to  have  a  remarkable  compo- 
sition, but  it  is  not  so.  Its  chief  characteristic  is 
that  it  contains  a  great  amount  of  lime,  a  property 
common  to  all  "hard"  waters  !  In  1,000  parts  (a 
litre)  of  the  Pavilion  spring  there  are  two  and  a-hali 
parts  of  solid  constituents,  and  of  these,  speaking 
roughly,  no  less  than  one  and  a-half  consists  of  sulphate 
of  lime,  and  one-half  part  of  carbonate  of  lime. 
The  remaining  half  is  composed  of  minute  quantities 
of  sulphate  of  sodium,  sulphate  and  carbonate  of  mag- 
nesium, and  very  minute  quantities  of  carbonate  of 
iron,  carbonate  of  lithium,  and  chlorides  of  potassium 


SECT.  B.]  CONTREXEVILLE.  151 

and  sodium.  A  French  description  of  this  water 
terms  it  "  eau  froide,  sulfatee  et  bicarbonatee  calcique, 
magnesienne,  ferrugineuse,  lithinee  et  silicatee  "  ! 

As  so  much,  nowadays,  is  made  of  the  curative 
influence  due  to  the  presence  of  lithium  in  a  mineral 
spring,  it  is  as  well  to  realise  clearly  that  in  a  quart 
of  the  Pavilion  spring  there  is  but  one-seventeenth 
of  a  grain  of  bicarbonate  of  lithium  ! 

The  first  thing  that  strikes  one  at  Contrexeville, 
as  compared  with  other  spas,  is  the  size  of  the 
glasses.  Instead  of  holding  about  six  ounces  as 
elsewhere,  they  contain  twelve  ounces.  And 
very  large  quantities  of  this  water  are  ordered 
to  be  drunk  :  in  many  cases  ten,  twelve,  and  up  to 
twenty  glasses  in  the  day,  while  over-zealous 
patients  have  been  known,  on  their  own  respon- 
sibility, to  take  thirty  glasses,  i.e.  ten  quarts  daily! 

The  water  is  clear,  still,  almost  tasteless,  of  a 
temperature  of  52°  F.,  and  neutral  to  test  paper. 

There  is  also  a  spring  termed  the  Prince,  which  is 
richer  in  iron,  another  the  Quai,  containing  more 
magnesia,  and  another,  the  Souveraine,  which  contains 
less  iron  and  more  magnesia  than  any  of  the  others, 
and  which  is  therefore  thought  better  adapted  to  the 
treatment  of  constipation  and  liver  affections. 

The  "cure"  at  Contrexeville  formerly  consisted 
exclusively  in  drinking  the  waters  ;  now,  following 
the  fashion  at  other  watering-places,  the  adminis- 
tration of  baths,  douches,  and  the  application  of 
massage,  usefully  fill  up  the  time  that  otherwise 
would  hang  on  the  hands  of  the  invalids  still  more 
heavily  than  it  actually  does. 

Close  to  the  Etablissement  there  has  been  erected 
a  spacious  promenade  covered  with  glass,  with  a 
central  dome  surmounting  an  octagonal  space  in 
which  is  the  Pavilion  spring.  In  this  promenade  the 
visitors  assemble  and  walk  up  and  down,  or  lounge 
about  on  the  seats,  or  examine  the  shops  which  line 
one  side  of  it,  or  they  stroll  into  the  little  park 
on  the  other  side,  and  now  and  again  come  to  the 


152  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

spring  until  they  have  drunk  the  prescribed  number 
of  glasses. 

The  young  women  who  dispense  the  water  have 
to  begin  their  work  very  early  in  the  day.  At 
4.30  a.m.  the  invalids  begin  to  arrive,  and  they 
continue  to  come  in  increasing  numbers  until  7  a.m. 
At  this  hour  the  crowd  is  so  great  that  it  is  only  by 
great  activity  and  constant  good  temper  that  the 
attendants  are  able  to  supply  all  the  applicants.  Be- 
fore 9  a.m.  the  drinking  ceases  ;  it  is  renewed  again, 
but  on  a  smaller  scale,  between  2  and  5  p.m.  From 
one  to  two  and  sometimes  three  quarts  are  prescribed 
daily,  the  dose  being  increased  gradually. 

In  difficult  cases  as  many  as  eighteen  glasses  a 
day  are  occasionally  prescribed.  Twelve  of  these 
are  taken  between  5  and  9  a.m.,  allowing  an  interval 
of  a  quarter  of  an  hour  between  the  doses,  four 
more  between  4  and  5  p.m.,  and  two  more 
before  going  to  bed.  But,  except  in  special  cases, 
some  of  the  physicians  of  the  spa  set  their  faces 
against  the  afternoon  drinking  as  not  to  be  en- 
couraged. 

The  consumption  of  this  immense  quantity  of 
water  has  a  decidedly  diuretic  and  aperient  effect. 

The  physicians  at  Contrexeville  know  that  what- 
ever special  virtues  these  springs  may  possess,  much 
of  the  success  that  follows  the  treatment  there 
depends  essentially  on  the  large  quantity  of  water 
which  is  daily  passed  through  the  system.  "  Ce 
nest  pas  pr easement  un  lavage,"  say  they,  but  the 
very  form  of  the  expression  is  three  parts  of  an 
admission. 

The  waters  are  also  applied  externally  as  baths 
and  douches  ;  a  douche  to  the  loins  being  specially 
in  favour.  But  great  caution  must  be  exercised  in 
the  prescription  of  baths  for  the  gouty,  as  they 
are  apt  to  provoke  an  acute  attack.  Massage  is 
frequently  combined  with  the  other  treatment, 
particularly  in  rheumatic  cases.  Pine,  turpentine, 
and  sulphur  baths  are  also  given  when  required. 


SECT.  B.]  CONTREXEVILLE.  153 

But  the  point  of  chief  practical  importance  is,  To 
what  cases  are  these  waters  applicable  ?  What 
diseases  do  they  cure  or  mitigate  ? 

More  than  a  century  ago  Bayard,  the  physician 
to  King  Stanislas  of  Lorraine,  wrote  as  follows  :— 
"  Les  eaux  de  Contrexeville  sont  souveraines  dans 
les  maladies  des  reins,  des  ureters,  de  la  vessie,  etc. 
.  .  .  .  souverainement  efficace  centre  la  pierre." 
This  judgment,  more  than  130  years  old,  still  holds 
good,  and  it  is  chiefly  to  the  success  with  which 
calculous  and  renal  and  vesical  disorders  are  treated 
there  that  Contrexeville  owes  its  great  renown. 
There  is  clearly  one  dominant  idea  in  the  minds  of 
the  physicians  of  Contrexeville,  viz.  that  by  far 
the  greater  proportion  of  maladies,  to  the  treat- 
ment of  which  these  waters  are  applicable,  have 
their  origin  in  gout,  and  are  due  to  an  excess  of 
uric  acid  in  the  blood. 

Briefly,  gravel  and  renal  calculous  disorders  are 
the  specialite- — whether  uric  acid,  oxalic,  or  phos- 
phatic — of  Contrexeville,  and  all  the  vesical  troubles 
associated  with  the  gouty  constitution  ;  pyelitis 
and  pyelo-nephritis  and  catarrh  of  the  urinary 
passages  when  dependent  on  calculous  and  gouty 
conditions.  Nocturnal  incontinence  of  urine  in 
children  is  said  to  be  cured  there. 

Further,  congestions  of  the  liver,  gallstones, 
dyspepsias,  and  other  disturbances  of  health,  pro- 
vided they  are,  in  some  way  or  other,  associated 
with  the  gouty  state,  are,  it  is  said,  cured  there. 
Diabetics,  if  also  gouty,  are  benefited,  but  if 
the  disease  is  what  is  known  as  true  diabetes, 
and  not  dependent  on  gout,  then  it  is  not  suitable. 
The  rheumatic  should  not  go  there,  unless  the 
rheumatism  is  combined  with  gout,  and  then  it  is 
suggested  that  the  gout  should  be  first  treated  at 
Contrexeville,  the  rheumatism  afterwards  at  Bour- 
bonne  or  Plombieres  ! 

Finally,  such  skin  affections  as  eczema,  acne, 
or  psoriasis,  if  dependent  on  the  presence  of  uric 


154  MINERAL    SPRINGS;  [PART  i. 

acid  in  excess  in  the  system,  will  be  benefited  by 
these  waters ;  otherwise  not.  Gouty  iritis  and 
other  ocular  troubles  of  gouty  origin  are  also 
benefited. 

The  words  "gout"  and  "uric  acid"  give  the 
clue  to  every  condition  that  is  cured  at  Contrexe- 
ville ;  though  alleviation  rather  than  cure  would 
in  many  instances  be  the  more  appropriate  term. 
The  torpid,  atonic  forms  of  gout  are  those  best 
suited  to  this  treatment — what  the  French  doctors 
term  "  la  goutte  blanche." 

As  some  doubts  have  often  been  expressed  as 
to  the  mode  of  action  of  these  waters,  it  may  be 
as  well  to  state  the  explanation  put  forth  by  the 
French  physicians  as  to  their  physiological  action. 
The  water  received  into  the  stomach  passes  into 
the  intestines,  and  is  there  rapidly  absorbed  by 
the  mesenteric  veins  and  passes  by  the  portal  vein 
to  the  liver  and  augments  its  secretion,  thus  causing 
bilious  evacuations  ;  an  excess  of  the  water  may  flow 
directly  into  the  large  intestine  and  cause  watery 
stools ;  some  of  the  water,  not  so  disposed  of, 
passes  into  the  general  circulation,  washes  the 
tissues,  and  is  finally  excreted  by  the  kidneys.  We 
can  thus  see  that  the  water  is  cholagogue,  laxative, 
and  diuretic. 

Patients  do  not  feel  debilitated  by  these  purga- 
tions because  of  the  tonic  effects  of  the  iron  and 
certain  other  constituents  of  the  water.  In  some 
few  cases  the  water  fails  to  have  any  purgative 
effect ;  it  is  customary  then  to  have  recourse  to 
the  Souveraine  spring,  or,  if  this  fails,  to  give  some 
aperient  water,  such  as  Apenta. 

The  purgative  effect  of  the  Contrexeville  water 
is  limited  to  the  period  before  breakfast,  and  does 
not  interfere  with  the  occupations  of  the  day,  and 
the  objection  to  drinking  a  portion  of  the  water 
in  the  afternoon  is  that  it  may  possibly  cause  some 
purging  at  night. 

The  water,  then,  washes   out  the   liver  and  the 


SECT.  B.]  CONTREXEVILLE.  155 

intestine  and  reduces  venous  engorgement.  The 
stomach  is  cleansed  and  refreshed,  appetite  is  im- 
proved and  digestion  stimulated.  Hence  the  in- 
crease of  strength  and  capacity  for  exertion  so 
constantly  observed  to  accompany  the  treatment. 
The  diuretic  effect  of  the  water  may  be  truly 
remarkable,  and  the  patient  is  often  led  to  imagine 
that  he  passes  more  water  than  he  drinks.  This, 
it  is  maintained,  is  the  main  object  of  the  treatment, 
viz.  to  obtain  a  rapid  current  of  water  passing 
quickly  through  the  organism,  washing  the  blood 
and  the  tissues,  and  in  its  course  dissolving  and 
carrying  away  toxic  substances  and  the  less  soluble 
salts  needing  elimination.  At  the  same  time  this 
active  current  flowing  through  the  urinary  passages 
tends  to  carry  away  mechanically  abnormal  sub- 
stances retained  in  them,  as  sand,  gravel,  mucus, 
pus,  etc.  At  the  end  of  the  cure  it  is  found  that 
the  daily  excretion  of  urea  is  increased,  whilst 
that  of  uric  acid  is  diminished,  from  which  it  is 
inferred  that  the  cure  increases  nutritive  activity, 
eliminates  nitrogenous  waste,  and  promotes  oxidation. 

There  are  certain  counter -indications,  connected 
with  the  diseases  for  which  Contrexeville  may  be 
prescribed,  that  it  is  desirable  to  mention.  These  are 
cases  of  pyelitis  and  renal  gravel  with  constantly 
more  than  a  gramme  of  albumin  per  litre  in  the 
urine  ;  bladder  cases  in  which  there  has  been  com- 
plete retention,  or  where  there  is  a  stagnant  residue 
of  more  than  80  grammes  of  urine  ;  or  where  there  is 
a  tight  stricture ;  or  where  there  is  a  stone  in  the 
bladder ;  cases  of  gout  when  an  acute  attack  is 
threatening  or  has  been  just  checked  by  specifics  : 
such  cases  should  not  be  sent  for  at  least  a  month 
after  the  end  of  the  attack  ;  cases  of  hepatic  cirrhosis  ; 
cases  of  diabetes  with  nephritis  or  cirrhosis,  or  with 
very  large  amounts  of  sugar,  or  in  a  cachectic  state. 

If  such  are  the  principal  medical  aspects  of 
Contrexeville,  what  are  its  social  attractions  ?  The 
life  is  certainly  monotonous  and  a  trifle  depressing. 


156  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PARTI. 

Each  day,  from  6  to  9  a.m.,  there  is  the  routine 
of  water-drinking,  the  usual  promenade  and  ex- 
change of  confidences  as  to  the  number  of  glasses 
you  have  been  ordered  to  drink,  and  their  effects. 
Occasionally  the  prescribed  bath  or  douche,  or  the 
consultation  with  the  doctor,  varies  the  morning's 
employment.  At  10  a.m.  comes  the  very  substantial 
dejeuner y  and  it  is  a  point  that  the  waters  be  drunk 
fasting,  and  that  the  drinking  should  be  completed 
an  hour  and  a-half  before  breakfast.  Some  of  the 
patients  after  this  long  fast  come  to  their  meal 
famishing,  and  eat  voraciously.  Some  English 
visitors  prefer  to  postpone  this  heavy  meal  till 
their  usual  luncheon  hour,  and  take  only  a  light 
breakfast  an  hour  after  the  drinking.  The  phy- 
sicians at  Contrexeville  have  been  doing  their  best 
to  get  the  table  d'hote  made  to  conform  more  fitly 
to  the  objects  of  treatment  there. 

Shut  in  as  Contrexeville  is  in  a  small,  narrow 
valley,  and  at  a  considerable  distance  from  any 
attractive  scenery,  there  are  but  few  possible  ex- 
cursions, within  easy  reach,  possessing  any  great 
attraction.  Such  excursions  as  the  surrounding 
country  offers  are  most  of  them  too  far  off  to  be 
consistent  with  due  attention  to  the  treatment, 
which  is,  after  all,  the  end  and  object  of  being  there  ; 
so  that  few  visitors  go  beyond  Vittel  or  Martigny, 
both  rival  spas,  a  few  minutes'  distance  only  by  train. 

Six  o'clock  is  the  dinner  hour.  After  dinner  on 
certain  days  in  the  week  there  are  dramatic  per- 
formances in  the  theatre,  or  concerts  or  other  kinds 
of  diversion.  A  certain  amount  of  gambling  can 
be  obtained  by  means  of  baccarat  or  bridge  in  the 
salle  de  jeu,  and  in  a  milder  form  in  the  park  by 
means  of  the  highly  popular  jeu  de  petits  chevau.\. 

Those  who  have  to  appear  at  the  Pavilion 
spring  at  6  a.m.  naturally  want  to  retire  to  rest 
early,  and  by  ten  o'clock  most  of  the  invalid  visitors 
have  withdrawn  to  their  apartments. 

The  season  is  from  May  2oth  to  Sept.  2oth. 


SECT.  B.]          CADEAC—CERESOLE-REALE. 


157 


Cadeac,  a  cold  sulphur  spring 
in  the  Hautes  Pyrenees,  of  some 
strength,  having  0-075  grammes 
of  sodium  sulphide  per  litre.  It 
is  in  a  picturesque  situation  at  an 
altitude  of  2,360  feet,  2  kilometres 
from  Arreau.  The  nearest  rail- 
way station  is  at  Lannemezan  on 
the  line  between  Toulouse  and 
Bayonne.  There  are  two  bath 
establishments.  Chronic  rheu- 
matism and  skin  affections  are  the 
maladies  treated  there. 

Capvern  (Hautes  Pyrenees). 
The  baths,  at  an  elevation  of 
1,360  feet,  are  about  half  an  hour's 
drive  from  the  little  town  and 
station,  which  is  a  few  miles  from 
Tarbes  on  the  line  between  that 
town  and  Toulouse.  The  popu- 
larity of  this  station  has  increased 
rapidly  of  late  years.  There  are 
two  springs  and  two  bath  estab- 
lishments. The  springs  are  warm 
and  have  a  temperature  of  77°  F. 

In  composition  and  uses  they 
bear  a  strong  resemblance  to  the 
Contrexeville  springs.  They  are 
feebly  mineralised,  containing  2 
grammes  of  mineral  constituents 
to  a  litre.  These  consist  chiefly 
of  sulphate  and  carbonate  of  lime 
and  sulphate  of  sodium  and 
magnesium.  There  is  a  small 
amount  of  iron,  and,  it  is  said, 
of  arsenic,  copper,  and  lithium, 
The  waters  are  said  to  powerfully 
stimulate  digestion,  to  increase 
the  renal,  hepatic,  and  alvine 
secretions,  and  to  be  of  especial 
value  in  gravel  and  catarrh  of  the 
bladder,  in  hepatic  engorgements, 
and  in  gallstones,  and  in  many 
uterine  affections,  also  in  gout  and 
gouty  diabetes. 

Of  the  two  springs  the  Mount 
Caoude  is  the  one  used  for  drink- 
ing and  the  Bouride  for  the  baths. 
This  spring  is  described  as  ' '  very 
unctuous,"  and  as  most  soothing 
in  cases  of  rheumatism,  neuritis, 
and  uterine  affections. 

Season,  June  15  to  Sept.  15. 


Carabana,  a  spring  rich  in  ape- 
rient sulphates,  in  the  province  of 
Madrid  in  Spain.  Like  Rubinat 
water,  it  is  bottled  and  exported. 

Carratraca,  a  Spanish  cold  sul- 
phur spring,  beautifully  situated 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Malaga. 
The  waters  are  feebly  mineralised, 
and  are  used  in  the  treatment  of 
syphilis  and  skin  diseases. 

Casamicciola.  See  Ischia,  p.  214. 

Castellamare  di  Stabia,  a  well- 
known  resort  in  the  Bay  of  Naples, 
has  cold  alkaline-earthy  waters, 
containing  about  5-0  grammes  of 
sodium  chloride  and  I-Q  gramme 
of  calcium  bicarbonate  per  litre. 
It  also  possesses  chalybeate  and 
sulphur  springs. 

Cassera-Verduzan,  an  important 
bath  in  an  out-of-the-way  part  of 
France,  23  kilometres  from  the 
station  of  Auch  in  the  Department 
of  Gers,  at  an  altitude  of  320  feet. 
It  has  a  warm  sulphur  spring 
(calcium  sulphide)  and  a  cold  iron 
spring,  and  possesses  a  bath  estab- 
lishment for  their  employment 
both  externally  and  internally.  It 
is  chiefly  of  local  interest  for  cases 
of  rheumatism,  atonic  dyspepsia, 
and  anaemic  forms  of  .uterine  and 
cutaneous  disease. 

The  season  is  from  May  15  to 
Oct.  15. 

Castiglione.     See  Ischia,  p,  214. 

Castleconnell,  co.  Limerick, 
Ireland,  has  chalybeate  springs. 

Castro- Caro,  province  of  Tos- 
cano,  Italy,  an  hour's  drive  from 
Forli  railway  station,  has  strong 
common  salt  waters,  containing 
also  some  bromides  and  iodides ; 
there  are  44-0  grammes  of  sodium 
chloride  per  litre,  0-197  of  mag- 
nesium iodide,  and  0-185  of  mag- 
nesium bromide.  They  are  applied 
in  the  cases  usually  treated  with 
common  salt  springs. 

Ceresole  -  Reale,  in  Piedmont, 
about  five  hours  from  Turin,  has 
arsenical  and  iron  springs  contain- 
ing 0-0057  grammes  of  arsenate 


158 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


of  sodium,  0-17  of  bicarbonate  of 
iron,  and  0-003  each  of  bicarbonate 
of  lithium  and  manganese  per 
litre.  It  is  a  high  mountain  resort 
5,290  feet  above  the  sea,  with 
very  beautiful  surroundings,  fine 
bracing  air,  and  good  accommo- 
dation. It  lies  between  the  Grand 
Paradis  and  the  Levanna  Moun- 
tains. 

Charlottenbrunn,  a  small  weak 
gaseous  chalybeate  spa  in  Silesia, 
on  the  railway  line  between  Gorlitz 
and  Glatz. 

Chateauneuf ,  a  bath  with  some- 
what primitive  accommodation, 
in  an  out-of-the-way  part  of  Au- 
vergne,  twenty  miles  by  road  from 
Riom  station.  It  is  in  the  midst 
of  wild  and  picturesque  mountain 
scenery. 

There  are  as  many  as  fifteen 
mineral  springs  scattered  over 
this  district,  and  varying  in  tem- 
perature from  59°  to  100°  F.  ; 
some  are  highly  charged  with 
carbonic  acid. 

Some  are  gaseous  and  cold,  and 
contain  a  notable  amount  of  iron  ; 
others  are  weak  alkaline  waters, 
while  others  have  purgative  pro- 
perties. The  reputation  of  this 
bath  is  chiefly  local,  and  it  is 
resorted  to  by  two  classes  of 
invalids  —  first,  the  anaemic  and 
dyspeptic  ;  and,  second,  the  rheu- 
matic and  gouty. 

Chaudes  Aigues,  a  small  town 
of  2,000  inhabitants,  taking  its 
name  from  the  possession  of  a 
great  number  of  hot  springs,  said 
to  be  the  hottest  in  France 
(180°  F.),  the  water  of  which 
contains  a  small  amount  (0-471 
grammes  per  litre)  of  carbonate  of 
soda.  It  is  situated  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  2,110  feet  in  a  remote  and 
out-of-the-way  part  of  the  moun- 
tains of  Cantal,  a  very  picturesque 
and  wild  country.  It  takes  six- 
teen hours  to  reach  it  from  Paris, 
first  by  rail  to  St.  Flour,  and 
then  a  mountain  drive  of  three 


hours.  The  springs  are  brought 
by  canalisation  into  the  houses, 
and  serve  to  warm  them  sufficiently 
even  in  that  harsh  winter  climate. 
These  hot  springs  yield  more  than 
a  million  litres  of  water  per  diem. 

There  is  an  Etablissement  des 
Bains,  with  the  usual  provision  of 
baths,  douches,  inhalations,  pul- 
verisations, etc. 

The  maladies  treated  there  are 
rheumatism,  swollen  joints,  vis- 
ceral congestions,  incomplete 
ankyloses,  paralysis,  and  neurotic 
conditions.  Its  use  is  almost 
exclusively  reserved  to  those  living 
in  the  district. 

Chaudefontaine,  in  Belgium, 
four  miles  and  a-half  from  Liege 
on  the  line  to  Aix  la  Chapelle,  in  a 
fine  situation  in  the  valley  of  the 
Vesdre,  has  simple  thermal  waters, 
temperature  96°  F.,  which  are 
utilised  in  the  same  way  as  such 
springs  elsewhere.  These  waters 
have  been  known  for  many  cen- 
turies. 

Chianciano.nearMontepulciano, 
in  Central  Italy,  has  thermal  cal- 
careous waters  of  a  temperature 
of  100°  F.,  which  are  used  chiefly 
for  baths.  They  contain  mainly 
calcium  sulphate  and  carbonate. 
There  are  also  gaseous  chalybeate 
springs.  It  lies  in  the  valley  of 
Chiana,  at  an  altitude  of  1,800 
feet,  and  is  half  an  hour's  drive 
from  the  station  of  Asciano. 

Civillina,  near  Recoaro  in  Italy, 
has  strong  sulphate  of  iron  waters, 
containing  also  sulphates  of  alu- 
minium, manganese,  calcium,  and 
copper,  some  arsenate  of  iron, 
and  a  little  free  sulphuric  acid. 

Civita  Vecchia,  the  seaport  of 
Rome,  has  weak  hot  sulphur 
springs  up  to  132°  F.  Natural 
vapour  baths  can  also  be  obtained 
there. 

Condillac  has  a  gaseous  alkaline 
"  table  water,"  which  is  largely 
exported.  The  springs  are  situated 
a  little  distance  from  Montelimar, 


SECT.    B.] 


DAX 


between  Lyons  and  Marseilles. 
The  water  contains  a  small  amount 
of  iron.  There  is  a  bath  estab- 
lishment at  Condillac,  and  the 
waters  are  drunk  there  in  cases  of 
dyspepsia,  arthritism,  uricaemia, 
intestinal  catarrh,  and  anaemia. 

Cours-les-Bains  (Gironde)  has 
a  cold  spring  containing  carbonate 
of  lime  and  carbonate  of  iron 
(0-030),  which  is  described  as 
diuretic,  tonic,  and  digestive,  and 
is  used  in  cases  of  anaemia, 
chlorosis,  dyspepsia,  and  retarded 
convalescence.  It  is  situated  in  a 
picturesque  country,  and  has  a 
station  (Langon)  on  the  Midi 
line  60  kilometres  from  Bor- 
deaux. Season,  May  15  to 
Oct.  15. 

Court  Saint  Etienne,  Brabant, 
Belgium,  has  an  arsenical  water 
(0-0263  of  arsenate  of  sodium  per 
litre),  solely  used  for  exportation. 

Couzan,  a  French  "table  water." 

Cransac,  in  the  Department  of 
Aveyron,  France,  with  a  station 
on  the  line  between  Rodez  and 
Capdenac,  has  cold  earthy  cal- 
careous springs.  It  is  situated  at 
the  foot  of  a  volcanic  mountain  at 
an  altitude  of  980  feet.  The  chief 
constituents  of  the  water  are 
calcium  sulphate  (1-5)  and  mag- 
nesium sulphate  (1-9).  It  has  a 
laxative  action,  and  is  prescribed 
in  cases  of  dyspepsia,  hepatic  con- 
gestion and  constipation,  and  cases 
of  splenic  enlargement  from  ma- 
larial poisoning.  The  water  is 
exported.  There  are  crevices  or 
caves  hollowed  out  of  the  moun- 
tain sides  and  filled  with  sul- 


phurous vapours  reaching  a  tem- 
perature of  118°  F.,  forming 
natural  vapour  baths ;  they  are 
used  for  the  treatment  of  chronic 
rheumatism. 

The  season  is  from  June  i  to 
Oct.  i. 

Croft  Spa,  Yorkshire,  a  cold  sul- 
phur spring  with  a  local  reputation. 

Csiz,  in  the  Rima  valley,  Upper 
Hungary,  has  a  cold  common  salt 
spring  containing  i8'o  per  litre 
of  sodium  chloride  and  small 
amounts  of  magnesium  bromide 
and  iodide. 

Cudown,  in  Silesia  (Prussia),  has 
well-reputed  cold  al/taline  gas- 
eons  chalybeate  springs.  It  is 
situated  on  pine-clad  mountain 
slopes,  at  an  altitude  of  1,270  feet, 
close  to  the  Bohemian  frontier. 
Its  nearest  station  is  Nachod,  on 
the  line  running  from  Hallstadt 
to  Chotzen.  The  springs  contain 
carbonate  of  sodium,  lithium,  and 
iron.  The  Eugenquelle,  the 
richest  in  iron,  contains  o'o6  bi- 
carbonate of  iron,  1-29  bicarbonate 
of  sodium,  and  0-0025  arsenate  of 
iron.  They  are  all  rich  in  free 
carbonic  acid  gas.  They  are 
heated  for  the  baths  by  the  addi- 
tion of  hot  water.  Ferruginous 
mud  baths  from  Bohemia,  and 
vapour  and  electric  baths  are  also 
used.  The  diseases  treated  there 
are  anaemia  and  chlorosis  ;  some 
neuropathies ;  respiratory,  gastric, 
and  vesical  catarrh,  and  some 
uterine  affections.  The  climatic 
influences  are  favourable  to  the 
treatment  of  asthenic  maladies. 

Cusset.     See  Vichy,  p.  359. 


Dax,  in  the  Departement  des  Landes,  about  mid- 
way between  Pau  and  Arcachon,  is  both  a  mineral 
bath  and  a  winter  climatic  resort.  As  a  bath  it  has 
two  main  resources — first,  a  vegeto-mineral  mud,  and 
second,  highly  heated  natural  springs. 


160  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

This  vegeto-mineral  mud  is  produced  by  the 
circumstance  that  the  river  Adour  (on  the  left  bank 
of  which  the  bathing  establishments  are  built)  is 
subject  to  frequent  floods  during  the  winter.  Each 
overflow  leaves  on  the  surface,  from  which  numerous 
hot  springs  arise,  a  thick,  greasy,  yellowish  mud ; 
this,  with  the  thermal  water  mixing  with  it,  forms 
the  mineral  part  of  the  mud.  In  this  a  vegetable 
growth  rapidly  develops  and  forms  a  very  complex 
mud,  the  mineral  part  being  composed  chiefly  of 
calcium  carbonate  and  sodium  chloride.  This  medi- 
cinal mud  changes  to  a  black  colour,  owing  to  the 
mineral  sulphates  becoming  converted  into  sulphides 
in  contact  with  organic  matter.  It  has  a  faint 
odour  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen.  Iron  and  copper 
sulphides  are  found  in  the  mud,  and  in  the  cinders 
of  the  conferva  traces  of  iodine  and  bromine. 

This  mud  is  applied,  in  some  cases,  in  the  form 
of  a  whole  bath,  at  a  temperature  varying  from  95° 
to  115°  F.,  lasting  fifteen  minutes.  The  mud  is 
then  washed  off  by  means  of  a  bath  or  douche. 
In  other  cases,  when  the  lower  extremities  only  are 
affected,  it  is  applied  as  half  baths,  and  as  local 
applications  to  the  hands  and  feet  and  to  special 
parts  of  the  body.  These  local  applications  are 
kept  on  from  twenty  minutes  to  an  hour,  and  then 
washed  off  by  a  thermal  douche  or  bath. 

In  whatever  manner  these  mud  baths  may  pro- 
duce their  effects,  which  is  open  to  discussion,  it  is 
certain  that  they  cause  a  great  stimulation  of  the 
skin,  together  with  excitement  of  the  nervous 
system,  capillary  dilatation,  and  quickened  cardiac 
action  with  free  perspiration.  It  is  maintained  that 
nutritive  changes  are  thus  quickened,  and  waste 
products  eliminated,  congestive  conditions  are 
relieved,  and  the  muscular  system  is  stimulated. 

The  special  therapeutic  application  of  this  thermal 
mud  is  for  the  relief  of  the  various  forms  of  chronic 
rheumatism,  stiffened  joints,  joints  with  rheumatic 
exudation,  sciatica,  and  other  forms  of  rheumatic 


SECT.    B.j  DAX.  l6l 

neuralgia,    fibro -muscular    rheumatism,    rheumatoid 
arthritis,  etc.,  etc. 

The  thermal  springs  of  Dax  are  very  numerous 
and  yield  a  very  large  amount  of  water  at  a  very 
high  temperature  (up  to  147°  F.).  They  are  clear, 
tasteless,  and  odourless,  with  a  slightly  unctuous  feel- 
ing and  an  alkaline  reaction.  Their  mineralisation  is 
feeble,  about  i  gramme  of  solids  to  the  litre ; 
these  consist  mainly  of  sulphates  of  calcium, 
sodium,  and  potassium,  carbonates  of  lime  and 
magnesium,  silicate  of  lime  and  traces  of  iron, 
manganese,  iodine,  and  bromine.  They  belong  to 
the  class  of  "  simple  thermal  waters."  They  are 
used  as  baths  and  douches  ;  as  natural  vapour  baths, 
the  vapour  coming  direct  from  the  hot  springs  ;  and 
they  are  drunk.  The  baths  are  sedative  or  exciting 
according  to  the  temperature  at  which  they  are  used. 
The  water  when  drunk  acts  as  a  diuretic  and 
stimulates  renal  elimination.  Their  diuretic  effect  is 
probably  purely  mechanical. 

The  cases  in  which  these  waters  prove  beneficial 
are  those  of  neurasthenia,  hysteria,  "  nervous  rheu- 
matism," and  all  cases  requiring  sedative  treatment. 
In  other  cases,  and  at  high  temperatures,  they  prove 
stimulating,  as  in  rheumatism,  sciatica,  chronic 
arthritis,  etc.  Some  forms  of  uterine  engorgements 
and  periuterine  exudations  are  treated  at  Dax. 

The  bathing  establishments  are  most  conveniently 
arranged  in  combination  with  hotel  accommodation, 
and  the  charges  are  very  reasonable. 

They  are  open  the  whole  year,  but  the  spring 
and  autumn  are  the  best  seasons  for  thermal  treat- 
ment. Express  trains  from  Paris  perform  the  journey 
in  ten  or  twelve  hours. 

Strong  salt  springs,  sulphur  springs,  and  sulphur 
and  salt  springs  are  found  in  the  immediate  neigh- 
bourhood of  Dax,  and  are  utilised  there  in  suitable 
cases. 

Dax  has  been  advocated  also  as  a  climatic  resort 
in  winter,  especially  for  invalids  suffering  from 


162  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  1. 

asthma  and  chronic  bronchial  catarrh,  and  who  re- 
quire a  soothing  rather  than  a  bracing  climate.  It 
is  said  to  have  a  higher  temperature  in  winter 
than  Pau,  and  a  milder  air.  Its  hot  springs  are 
said  to  raise  the  temperature  of  the  air,  and  the 
surrounding  pine  forests  to  protect  the  place  some- 
what from  cold  winds. 

Dax  was  known  to  the  Romans  as  "Aqua 
Augusta"  ;  this  became  shortened  into  "Aqua,"  and 
afterwards  modified  into  Acq  or  D'Acq,  and  finally 
into  Dax  ! 

Driburg-Bad,  in  Westphalia,  has  a  cold  gaseous 
earthy  chalybeate  spring.  It  lies  in  a  valley  of  the 
Teutsberg  forest,  at  an  elevation  of  730  feet,  in  a 
pleasant  situation.  It  has  a  station  on  the  Alten- 
becken-Holzminden  Railway,  and  is  about  twenty- 
four  hours  from  London.  It  has  several  chalybeate 
springs  rich  in  free  carbonic  acid  gas.  The  strongest 
of  these  is  the  Hauptquelle,  and  contains  car- 
bonate of  iron,  0-07  per  litre,  and  carbonate  and 
sulphate  of  lime,  together  2-4  per  litre,  and  much 
free  carbonic  acid.  The  other  springs  contain  the 
same  ingredients,  but  in  smaller  amount. 

The  stronger  springs  are  used  for  drinking,  the 
weaker  ones  for  baths.  The  Caspar-  Heinrich- 
quelle  is  adapted  to  the  same  class  of  cases  as  the 
Wildungen  waters. 

Besides  the  gaseous  iron  baths,  sulphur  mud 
baths,  made  of  sulphur-containing  mud  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood (Saatz-bad),  pine-needle  baths,  artificial 
brine  baths,  and  ordinary  hydropathic  treatment  are 
utilised.  The  mineral  water  is  warmed  for  baths 
(double-bottomed)  by  the  Schwarz  method.  The 
cases  suited  for  this  spa  are  especially  those  of 
anaemia,  chlorosis,  hysteria,  neurasthenia,  and 
neuralgia,  gastric  and  respiratory  catarrhs,  the  same 
urinary  affections  as  are  treated  at  Wildungen  , 
uterine  affections  also  are  specially  claimed.  Rheu- 
matism and  gout  are  included  in  the  local  list. 


SECT.  B.]  DROITWICH;  163 

The  season  is  from  May  ist  to  Oct.  ist.  Driburg 
is  a  very  quiet,  tranquil  resort,  with  pleasant  walks 
and  drives,  and  living  there  is  inexpensive. 

Droitwich  is  a  well-known  salt  bath  in  Worcester- 
shire, 125  miles  from  London  and  seven  miles  from 
the  city  of  Worcester.  Beds  of  rock  salt  lie  under 
the  town,  and  as  they  undergo  gradual  solution  by 
streams  of  pure  water  flowing  over  them,  some  very 
remarkable  subsidences  are  observed  there ;  and 
some  of  the  buildings  seem  to  be  gradually  dis- 
appearing !  Partly  on  this  account,  the  town  has 
not  an  attractive  aspect.  But  there  is  pleasant 
country  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  the  Malvern  Hills 
are  not  far  off. 

It  has  been  suggested  that  these  salt  beds  are  the 
remains  of  an  inland  sea  or  lagoon.  Extensive  salt 
works  exist  in  the  neighbourhood.  The  Droitwich 
brine,  which  is  practically  a  saturated  solution  of 
common  salt,  is  pumped  up  from  a  subterranean 
reservoir.  The  supply  is  unlimited.  It  contains  310 
grammes  per  litre  of  common  salt,  and  its  specific 
gravity,  and  therefore  its  buoyancy,  is  so  great  that 
the  body  floats  in  it.  Its  other  chief  constituents  are 
sodium  and  calcium  sulphate.  Its  specific  gravity 
has  been  found  to  be  about  1,195. 

The  undiluted  brine  is  quite  unsuited  for  internal 
use,  and  is  only  used  for  bathing.  Sometimes,  largely 
diluted,  a  tablespoonful  or  two  to  a  tumblerful  of 
water  is  given  as  an  aperient. 

Two  good  and  well-appointed  bath  establish- 
ments exist  at  Droitwich  :  the  Royal  Baths,  which 
are  connected  with  an  hotel  by  a  glazed  corridor,  so 
as  to  allow  of  patients  residing  in  the  hotel  passing 
to  their  bath  without  going  into  the  open  air ;  and 
the  St.  Andrew's  Baths,  a  modern  building,  also 
connected  by  a  subway  with  adjacent  hotels. 

So  great  is  the  buoyancy  of  the  brine  that  in 
some  of  the  baths  a  wooden  bar  is  fixed  across  the 
bath,  at  a  suitable  height,  in  order  to  keep  the  body 


164  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

submerged.  The  bath,  at  a  temperature  of  98°  to 
101°  F.,  usually  lasts  about  twenty  minutes.  The 
brine  has  to  be  diluted  with  about  an  equal  quantity 
of  hot  water  for  the  baths.  Any  attempt  to  heat 
the  undiluted  brine  leads,  on  account  of  its  con- 
centration, to  the  deposit  of  salt,  owing  to  the 
evaporation  that  takes  place. 

There  are  warm  swimming  baths  for  both  sexes, 
which  are  much  resorted  to  and  appreciated.  The 
water  is  of  a  temperature  of  85° — 88°  F.,  and  is 
heated  by  jets  of  steam  from  an  iron  pipe  beneath 
the  surface. 

The  St.  Andrew's  Baths  are  provided  with 
douches  and  vapour  and  needle  baths,  which  are 
given  with  diluted  brine.  Brine  compresses  are 
often  applied  to  diseased  painful  joints  with  benefit. 
Electrical  appliances  are  also  made  use  of.  The 
brine  is  often  washed  off  with  a  spray  of  fresh  water 
after  immersion.  The  patient,  wrapped  in  hot 
towels,  is  ordered  to  rest  quietly  for  some  minutes 
on  coming  out  of  the  bath. 

The  course  of  treatment  at  Droitwich  is  "found 
to  be  especially  useful  in  muscular  rheumatism  and 
in  sciatica.  Cases  of  chronic  gout  are  also  often 
greatly  benefited,  but  acute  attacks  are  said  to  be 
occasionally  provpked.  In  osteo-arthritis  the  results 
of  treatment  are  uncertain.  The  joint  stiffness 
following  attacks  of  acute  rheumatism  is  greatly 
benefited  by  the  employment  of  douches  and  vapour 
as  well  as  immersion  baths. 

Gonorrhceal  arthritis,  peripheral  neuritic  palsies, 
chorea,  certain  cases  of  tabes,  and  chronic  congestive 
and  inflammatory  affections  of  the  uterus  are  men- 
tioned by  local  authorities  as  benefited  by  treatment 
at  Droitwitch.  The  baths  are  said  to  have  a  tonic 
effect  in  certain  forms  of  debility  and  retarded  con- 
valescence from  acute  disease.  Traumatic  cases  are 
also  benefited. 

The  baths  are  open  all  the  year  round,  but  the 
summer  months  are  most  suitable  for  treatment  there. 


SECT.    B.] 


DIGNE—D  URRENBERG. 


165 


The  Droitwich  brine  is  conveyed  to  Malvern,  and 
baths  can  be  obtained  there. 

The  Nauheim  treatment  of  cardiac  affections 
has  been  instituted  at  Droitwich. 


Digne,  Basses  Alpes,  France,  has 
thermal  sulphur  and  common  salt 
waters.  It  is  situated  at  an  alti- 
tude of  1,960  feet. 

Dinkholder  -  Brunnen,  on  the 
Rhine,  near  Braubach,  has  a 
chalybeate  spring. 

Dinsdale-on-Tees,  not  far  from 
Darlington,  Durham,  has  a  cold 
sulphur  spring. 

Dirsdorp,  a  Silesian  bath  in  the 
Lohe  valley,  at  an  altitude  "of  780 
feet,  has  a  chalybeate  and  a  sul- 
phur spring.  The  former  contains 
carbonate  of  iron  and  carbonate 
of  lime  and  free  carbonic  acid  and 
nitrogen  gas;  the  sulphur  spring 
contains  in  addition  sulphuretted 
hydrogen. 

The  waters  are  used  for  baths 
and  drinking  in  cases  of  chronic 
rheumatism,  gout,  and  anaemia. 

The  season  is  from  May  20  to 
Sept.  15. 

The  nearest  railway  station  is 
Gnadenfrei  on  the  Breslau-Kober- 
witz-Gnadenfrei  Railway. 

Ditzenbach,  in  Wiirtemberg — 
the  branch  road,  Geislingen- 
Ditzenbach  -  Wilsensteig,  is  in 
course  of  construction — lies  in  a 
picturesquely  wooded  valley  at  an 
altitude  of  about  1,600  feet  above 
the  sea,  and  has  an  acidulous 
(free  carbonic  acid)  and  carbonate 
of  lime  spring.  As  a  health  resort 
for  drinking  and  bathing  this 
place  has  only  been  acquired  since 
May ,  1900.  It  has  two  small  public 
bath-houses.  The  water  is  ex- 
ported. 

Doberan,  a  small  town  in  the 
Grand  Duchy  of  Mecklenburg- 
Schwerin,  with  a  station  on  the 
Rostock- Wismar  Railway.  It  is 


connected  by  a  steam-tram  with 
the  Baltic  Sea  resort  Heligen- 
damm.  It  has  a  chalybeate  well 
containing  protocarbonate  of  iron 
and  carbonate  of  calcium.  For 
drinking  and  bathing  some  car 
bonic  acid  is  generally  added  to  it 
artificially.  Mud  baths,  artificial 
brine  baths,  pine-needle  baths, 
hydropathy,  gymnastics,  and  mas- 
sage are  all  employed  as  ac- 
cessory remedies.  The  cases 
considered  suitable  for  treatment 
are  those  of  gout,  rheumatism, 
neuralgia,  paralysis,  anaemia,  and 
chlorosis. 

Season,  from  beginning  of  May 
to  October. 

Diirkheim,  with  common  salt 
waters,  is  situated  at  the  entrance 
of  the  Isenach  valley,  at  an  alti- 
tude of  380  feet,  at  the  foot  of  the 
Hardt  Mountains.  Its  railway 
station  is  Monsheim-Neustadt. 

Its  saline  wells  contain  from 
7-5  to  20-0  grammes  of  sodium 
chloride  per  litre  ;  they  also  con- 
tain lime,  and  it  is  said  a  little 
lithium.  They  are  used  for  drink- 
ing, but  chiefly  for  baths  and  in- 
halations and  gargling,  and  they 
are  often  increased  in  strength  by 
the  addition  of  mother-lye.  The 
grape  cure  is  also  carried  out 
there  as  an  accessory  remedy. 
The  diseases  treated  are  scrofula, 
rickets,  skin  diseases,  rheumatism, 
gout,  and  female  complaints. 

The  season  is  from  May  15  to 
Oct.  15.  The  grape  cure  after 
Sept.  15. 

Dtlrrenberg,  a  common  salt 
bath,  in  the  province  of  Saxony, 
with  a  station  on  the  Leipzig-Kor- 
beitha  line.  The  salt  water  is 


i66 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


diluted  with  hot  river  water  for 
baths.  Artificial  carbonic  acid 
baths  and  -river  wave  baths  with 
salt  water  douches  are  also  given. 
The  maladies  treated  are  those 
for  which  salt  baths  are  usually 
recommended. 

The  season  is  from  May  i  to 
Sept.  30. 

Durrheim,  a  common  salt  bath 
and  village  in  the  Grand  Duchy 
of  Baden  in  the  valley  of  the  Baar, 
at  an  elevation  of  2,300  feet.  Its 
railway  station  is  at  Marbach,  on 


the  Baden  Black  Forest  line.  It 
has  a  saturated  brine  artificially 
produced  by  washings  of  a  rock- 
salt  stratum,  and  which  is  brought 
to  the  surface  by  pumps.  It  is 
warmed  and  diluted  for  drinking, 
and  hot  fresh  water  is  added  when 
it  is  used  for  baths  and  douches. 
It  is  also  used  for  inhalation. 
Mud  baths  are  given.  These 
means  are  applied  to  the  same 
class  of  cases  as  are  usually  sent 
to  salt  baths,  and  which  have  been 
repeatedly  mentioned. 


Eaux  Bonnes  (Basses  Pyrenees),  a  well- 
known  thermal  sulphur,  spa  frequented  chiefly  by 
persons  suffering  from  affections  of  the  throat  and 
respiratory  organs.  "  Chaque  siecle,"  says  M.  Taine, 
"  la  medecine  fait  un  progres.  Par  exemple,  au  temps 
de  Frangois  I.  les  Eaux  Bonnes  guerissaient  les 
blessures  :  elles  s'appellaient  eaux  d' arquebusades  ; 
on  y  envoya  lessoldats  blesseesa  Pavie.  Aujourd'hui 
elles  guerissent  les  maladies  de  gorge  et  de  poitrine. 
Dans  cent  ans  elles  gueriront,  peut-etre,  autre  chose. 
Les  medicaments  out  les  modes  comme  les  chapeaux. 
Un  medecin  celebre  disait  un  jour  a  ses  eleves  :  '  Em- 
ployez  vite  ce  remede  pendant  qu'il  guerit  encore  ! ' ' 

Eaux  Bonnes  is  twenty-six  miles  to  the  south  of 
Pau  and  three  miles  from  the  railway  terminus  of 
Laruns,  sixteen  hours  by  express  from  Paris.  The 
omnibus  takes  three-quarters  of  an  hour  to  drive  from 
Laruns  to  Eaux  Bonnes.  As  one  enters  the  Vallee 
d'Ossau,  about  halfway  between  Pau  and  Eaux  Bonnes, 
in  the  distance  high  above  the  other  mountains  one 
sees  the  Pic  du  Midi  d'Ossau,  easily  recognised  by 
its  curious  summit  of  two  unequal  peaks.  The 
village  of  Eaux  Bonnes,  about  2,400  feet  above  the 
sea,  is  situated  in  a  somewhat  narrow  gorge,  stretch- 
ing between  the  steep  mountains  which  here  bound 
on  each  side  the  Vallee  d'Ossau.  The  chief  part  of 
the  village  consists  of  three  rows  of  uniformly  built 


SECT.  B.]  EAUX    BONNES.  167 

houses  and  hotels,  forming  three  sides  of  a  quad- 
rangle, and  enclosing  a  space  planted  with  trees,  and 
called  the  Jardin  Darralde,  where  the  band  plays, 
and  where  the  visitors  walk,  or  sit  and  talk,  or  read, 
or  work,  as  they  may  be  disposed.  Beyond  and 
above  the  Jardin  Darralde  is  the  Etablissement 
Thermal,  and  to  the  right,  built  in  a  conspicuous 
position  on  a  terrace,  is  the  handsome  new  church. 
Here  also  commences  the  remarkable  and  interesting 
carriage  road,  constructed  through  the  mountains, 
which  leads  from  Eaux  Bonnes  to  Argeles. 

A  characteristic  of  Eaux  Bonnes  is  the  possession 
of  a  very  fine  promenade,  which  is  called  the 
Promenade  Horizontale ;  it  begins  at  the  casino  and 
is  continued  along  the  side  of  the  mountain  out  of 
which  it  is  cut,  always  on  the  same  level,  parallel  to, 
but  at  a  considerable  elevation  above,  the  road 
leading  from  Eaux  Bonnes  to  Eaux  Chaudes.  It 
is  planted  with  trees,  under  the  shade  of  which 
many  seats  are  placed  commanding  beautiful  views 
of  the  Vallee  d'Ossau. 

Eaux  Bonnes,  with  its  excellent  hotel  accom- 
modation, its  pleasing  site,  and  the  numerous  in- 
teresting excursions  into  the  mountains  which  it 
commands,  attracts  every  year  a  considerable  num- 
ber of  the  Parisian  upper  classes,  who  find  a 
comparatively  calm  and  unexciting  and  refreshing 
retreat  there  from  the  gay  life  of  Paris.  Its  climate, 
too,  is  especially  soothing  ;  there  is  exceedingly  little 
wind  or  dust  there,  and  it  is  said  that  the  air  is 
often  so  still  that  one  may  pass  days  without  seeing 
a  leaf  stir  on  the  trees.  It  is,  however,  subject,  like 
most  other  mountain  stations,  to  thunderstorms  and 
heavy  rains. 

Eaux  Bonnes  has  three  springs  :  one  is  cold,  La 
Source  Froide,  another  has  a  temperature  of  72°  F., 
La  Source  d'Orteig — this  is  merely  tepid — and  the 
third,  the  chief  source,  is  known  as  La  Source 
Vieille ;  this  has  a  temperature  of  90*5°  F.  and  is 
the  spring  to  which  the  place  owes  its  reputation. 


1 68  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

It  has  only  0-6  per  litre  of  solid  constituents,  of 
which  o'O2  is  sodium  sulphide,  about  0*3  sodium 
chloride,  0*007  sodium  iodide,  with  a  small  amount 
of  calcium  and  other  sulphides.  It  also  contains 
certain  gases,  especially  sulphuretted  hydrogen  and 
nitrogen.  Its  chemical  composition  has  a  certain 
stability  and  it  does  not  turn  milky  on  exposure  to 
the  air  as  do  certain  other  of  the  sulphur  waters  of 
the  Pyrenees.  It  is  also  rich  in  organic  matter, 
glairine  or  baregine. 

The  quantity  of  water  yielded  by  the  springs  at 
Eaux  Bonnes  is  limited,  so  that  it  has  never  been 
the  custom  to  use  them,  to  any  extent,  as  baths ; 
the  Grand  Etablissement,  however,  contains  a  certain 
number  of  baths,  as  well  as  two  rooms  devoted  to 
foot-baths,  a  chamber  for  gargling,  another  for  throat 
douches  and  for  pulverisation.  There  is  also  a 
smaller  Etablissement  d'Orteig,  and  a  third,  Le 
Chalet  de  la  Source  Froide. 

It  is  to  the  use  of  La  Source  Vieille  that  the  good 
results  obtained  in  so  many  cases  of  throat  and  chest 
disease  are  attributed. 

It  is  maintained  by  the  medical  authorities  at 
Eaux  Bonnes  that  these  waters  have  "  une  veritable 
afflnite  elective"  for  affections  of  the  respiratory 
organs ;  that  when  the  water  is  drunk,  sulphuretted 
hydrogen  is  exhaled  through  the  lungs. 

It  is,  then,  for  the  cure  of  chronic  affections  of 
the  nose,  throat  and  chest — chronic  granular  pharyn- 
gitis, naso-pharyngeal  catarrhs,  and  chronic  laryngitis 
— that  these  waters  are  especially  renowned,  as  well 
as  for  the  cure  of  chronic  bronchial  catarrhs.  It  is 
also  claimed  for  them — and  this  claim  was  advanced 
by  that  great  physician  Trousseau — that  they  are  of 
unmistakable  efficacy  in  certain  cases  of  consumption  ; 
and  this  opinion  is  still  maintained  by  those  who 
have  had  many  years  of  experience  in  treating 
such  cases  at  Eaux  Bonnes.  It  is,  however,  in  the 
strictly  local  and  limited  manifestations  of  this 
malady,  and  not  in  those  cases  in  which  there  is. 


SECT.  B.J  EAUX    BONNES.  169 

obvious  general  constitutional  infection,  or  in  which 
the  disease  is  rapidly  advancing,  that  it  is  suggested 
a  cure  can  be  effected  at  Eaux  Bonnes.  It  is,  says 
a  local  authority,  not  the  disease  phthisis  that  is 
cured,  but  a  certain  class  of  persons  who  have  become 
tuberculous  that  can  be  healed,  and  especially  certain 
subjects  of  protracted  catarrhal  pulmonary  affections 
that  are  in  danger  of  becoming  tuberculous.  In  these 
the  treatment  exercises  a  restorative  and  immunising 
action  on  the  lungs.  There  is  much  medical  testi- 
mony forthcoming  as  to  the  efficacy  of  the  waters  of 
Eaux  Bonnes  in  fitly  selected  cases  of  consumption, 
and  many  of  those  chronic  cases  which  by  careful 
management  continue  to  maintain  a  feeble  but 
tolerable  existence,  by  passing  the  winter  in  the 
south,  etc.,  come  year  after  year  to  pass  some  part 
of  the  summer  season  at  Eaux  Bonnes.  There  are 
many  consumptive  French  patients  who,  by  the 
recommendation  of  their  physicians,  pass  their 
winters  on  the  Riviera,  and  their  summers  at  Eaux 
Bonnes,  or  at  one  or  the  other  of  the  Pyrenean 
health  resorts,  and  this  arrangement  seems  to  suit 
them  well,  and  if  their  malady  does  not  become 
cured,  at  any  rate  its  course  is  for  a  time  arrested 
and  retarded,  and  they  obtain  many  years  of  agree- 
able existence  which  they  could  not  insure  in  the 
north.  The  doses  of  the  water  prescribed  internally 
are  often  quite  small,  eight  to  ten  tablespoonfuls  daily. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  course  some  general, 
as  well  as  local  excitement  and  stimulation  is  often 
observed,  but  this,  as  a  rule,  soon  passes  off. 

In  addition  to  the  cases  mentioned  as  suitable  for 
this  course,  certain  others  are  often  benefited,  such 
as  cases  of  humid  (not  dry)  catarrhal  asthma,  scrofu- 
lous tonsillitis  and  adenitis,  enlargements  of  bronchial 
glands,  often  a  sequel  of  whooping  cough  ;  cases  of 
anaemia  and  chlorosis  not  amenable  to  treatment  with 
iron,  certain  moist  skin  diseases,  as  impetigo,  and 
scrofulous  fistulas  and  slowly  healing  wounds.  The 
mildly  bracing  mountain  climate  is  also  suitable  to 


i/o  MINERAL  SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

convalescents  from  acute  diseases,  especially  of  the 
throat  or  lungs. 

The  season  is  from  June  ist  to  Oct.  ist.  There 
is  excellent  accommodation  to  be  found  at  Eaux 
Bonnes,  and  residence  there  is  cheerful  though  quiet. 

Eaux  Chaudes  (Basses  Pyrenees),  like  its 
neighbour,  Eaux  Bonnes,  has  thermal  sulphur 
springs,  which  are  more  particularly  resorted  to 
for  the  treatment  of  female  maladies.  It  is  distant 
about  six  miles  from  Eaux  Bonnes  by  a  good  carriage 
road ;  there  is  also  a  very  interesting  walk  over 
the  mountains  between  the  two  villages,  command- 
ing magnificent  views  of  the  grand  surrounding 
mountain  scenery.  The  carriage  road  for  the  first 
three  miles  is  the  same  as  that  traversed  in  coming 
from  Laruns  to  Eaux  Bonnes.  This  road  bifurcates 
within  about  three  miles  of  Eaux  Bonnes,  the  branch 
to  the  right  going  to  Eaux  Chaudes.  When  we  reach 
this  bifurcation  we  enter  a  narrow  defile,  sombre 
but  picturesque,  bounded  on  each  side  by  enormous 
mountain  walls,  with  a  blue  band  of  sky  overhead. 
The  road  keeps  to  the  left  side  of  the  gorge,  often 
at  a  great  height  above  the  river — the  Gave  d'Ossau 
— which  500  feet  beneath  roars  and  foams  along 
its  steep  and  stony  bed. 

We  come  somewhat  suddenly  upon  Eaux 
Chaudes,  a  simple  village  of  a  few  houses  and 
hotels,  most  charmingly  situated  at  an  elevation 
of  2,200  feet  in  the  very  bosom  of  the  mountains. 
Eaux  Chaudes  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  spots 
in  the  Western  Pyrenees ;  within  a  short  drive 
is  the  village  of  Gabas,  most  grandly  situated  amidst 
wi]d  mountain  scenery,  the  magnificent  Pic  du  Midi 
of  like  composition  to  those  of  Eaux  Bonnes,  only 
closing  in  the  horizon.  There  are  seven  springs, 
varying  in  temperature  from  77°  to  97°  F.  They  are 
weaker.  Their  total  solids  are  only  0*33  per  litre,  and 
the  sodium  sulphide  is  only  O'oo88.  The  waters  also 
contain  alkaline  silicates  and  glairine  or  baregine. 


SECT.  B:]  BAD    ELSTER.  171 

They  are  chiefly  used  externally — as  baths,  douches, 
irrigations,  and  pulverisations.  Vaginal  irrigations 
are  a  sort  of  speciality  of  this  spa.  They  are 
applied  with  the  water  as  it  comes  directly  from 
the  spring,  which  ensures  its  asepticity. 

For  throat  affections  the  water  is  drunk  and 
used  for  gargling. 

Formerly  the  different  springs  were  severally 
allotted  to  the  treatment  of  different  forms  of 
disease,  but  this  artificial  distinction  scarcely  merits 
serious  consideration.  Generally  speaking,  these 
weak  and  tepid  sulphur  springs  are  regarded  as 
more  sedative  than  the  stronger  ones. 

As  has  been  said,  female  maladies  are  mainly 
the  cases  treated  at  Eaux  Chaudes :  vaginitis  of 
indeterminate  causation,  metritis  and  perimetritis, 
as  an  aid  to  but  not  a  substitute  for  appropriate 
local  treatment ;  dysmenorrhcea,  amenorrhcea,  cer- 
tain forms  of  sterility  ;  hysteria,  neurasthenia — 
all  such  cases,  when  requiring  a  sedative  combined 
with  tonic  (climatic)  treatment.  In  addition,  rheu- 
matic cases,  articular,  muscular,  and  neuralgic 
(sciatica),  when  occurring  in  the  neurotic.  Cases 
of  slow  recovery  from  exhausting  disease  may  with 
advantage  be  sent  to  this  quiet  and  mildly  tonic 
station.  The  most  suitable  season  is  from  June  2oth 
to  Sept.  2oth  ;  but  the  thermal  establishment  is  open 
all  the  year  round. 

Elster  (Bad  Elster),  in  the  kingdom  of  Saxony, 
is  situated  near  the  Bohemian  frontier,  with  a  station 
a  few  miles  from  Eger,  on  the  line  between  that 
town  and  Leipzig.  It  lies  in  the  Elster  valley,  at 
an  elevation  of  about  1,600  feet,  surrounded  by 
pine-clad  hills. 

The  principal  springs  may  be  termed  cold 
alkaline,  saline,  gaseous,  chalybeate.  They  are  a 
combination  of  saline  constituents  and  iron.  There 
are  five  springs  used  for  drinking — the  Moritz, 
Marien,  Koenigs,  Alberts,  and  Salzquelle.  There 


i/2 .  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

are  other  springs  used  only  for  supplying  the 
various  baths. 

The  Salzquelle  is  so  called  because  of  its  rich- 
ness in  saline  constituents  ;  it  contains  5*2  grammes 
per  litre  of  sodium  sulphate,  r6  of  sodium  bicar- 
bonate, 0'8  of  sodium  chloride,  and  0*06  of  bicar- 
bonate of  iron,  and  much  free  carbonic  acid.  The 
Moritzquelle  is  richest  in  iron.  The  Marienquelle 
contains  the  same  amount  of  iron  as  the  Salzquelle, 
about  half  as  much  sodium  sulphate  and  bicarbonate, 
and  twice  as  much  sodium  chloride.  It  also  has 
much  free  carbonic  acid,  and  is  largely  used  for 
drinking.  The  Koenigsquelle  is  said  to  contain 
a  "  remarkable  quantity  of  lithium." 

It  will  be  seen  that  they  are  fairly  strong  iron 
waters  combined  with  alkaline  and  saline  (aperient) 
constituents. 

These  springs  are  utilised  for  drinking,  for 
gargling,  for  inhalations,  and  for  mineral  baths. 
The  drinking  waters  are  largely  exported  in  bottles, 
after  charging  with  artificial  carbonic  acid  gas. 

There  is  an  elaborately  equipped  bath  estab- 
lishment, in  which,  in  addition  to  the  ordinary 
mineral  baths,  ferruginous  mud  baths,  artificial 
carbonic  acid  baths,  pine-needle  baths,  artificial 
salt  baths,  Russian  vapour  and  Roman  baths, 
hydrotherapy  with  massage,  and  electric  light 
baths  are  administered.  So  that  a  great  variety 
of  therapeutic  methods  can  be  applied.  The 
cases  treated  at  Elster  are  those  of  anaemia  and 
chlorosis,  of  gastro-intestinal  and  hepatic  func- 
tional disorders,  of  gout,  rheumatism,  and  obesity 
(especially  the  anaemic  form),  many  female  pelvic 
maladies,  scrofulous  disease  of  children,  and 
some  forms  of  neurasthenia.  Briefly,  such  cases 
as  call  for  a  combination  of  tonic  and  eliminative 
treatment. 

Elster  has  a  hospital  and  charitable  institution 
for  the  treatment  of  delicate  children  and  the  indi- 
gent. The  season  is  from  May  ist  to  Oct.  ist. 


SECT.  B.]  BAD  EMS-.  173 

Ems,  the  well-known  Bad  Ems,  is  situated  twelve 
miles  from  Coblenz,  in  the  beautiful  valley  of  the 
Lahn,  and  possesses  celebrated  thermal  springs  be- 
longing to  the  alkaline  common  salt  group:  Its 
natural  situation  is  very  beautiful,  and  art  has  been 
liberally  applied  to  aid  nature  in  its  embellishment. 

Ems  extends  for  a  considerable  distance  along 
the  right  bank  of  the  river  Lahn.  Along  this  bank, 
at  the  lower  part,  is  the  old  Dorf  Ems,  where  most 
of  the  poorer  inhabitants  dwell,  while  the  upper  part 
consists  of  handsome  hotels  and  shops,  and  the  fine 
Kursaal  and  the  Kurhaus  and  the  springs  are  all  on 
that  side  of  the  river,  together  with  some  prettily 
laid-out,  shady,  park-like  walks.  On  the  left  side 
of  the  river  there  are  also  bath-houses,  and  many 
(.ne  villas  and  hotels,  and  many  shady  walks  and 
drives  extend  up  the  wooded  mountain  side  on  this 
bank. 

The  pedestrian  can  find  many  attractive  walks, 
with  fine  points  of  view,  varying  from  half  an  hour 
to  an  hour  and  a-half's  distance  from  his  hotel. 
Or  the  woods  on  the  summit  of  the  Malberg, 
1,000  feet  above  the  town,  can  now  be  reached  by  a 
funicular  railway. 

A  fine  covered  walk  in  the  centre  of  the  public 
gardens,  near  the  Kursaal,  affording  shelter  both 
from  sun  and  rain,  was  erected  in  1874,  at  the  special 
request  of  the  Emperor  William,  and  is  a  real  boon 
to  the  place.  An  historical  monument,  of  which 
Ems  is  proud,  is  a  small  white  stone  let  into  the 
ground  near  where  the  band  plays  in  the  morning, 
with  the  simple  inscription  :  "  15  Juli,  1870,  9  Uhr 
Morgens  "  ;  this  marks  the  spot  where  King  William 
stood  when  he  caused  his  memorable  answer  to  be 
given  to  the  French  ambassador,  Benedetti. 

Ems  has  the  reputation  of  being  hot  and  relaxing, 
and  no  doubt  it  can  be  very  hot  at  Ems  during  the 
height  of  summer.  This  probably  assists  in  the 
cure  of  the  cases  of  chronic  bronchial  and  laryngeal 
catarrh  that  are  sent  here  ;  but  the  early  mornings 


174  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

and  the  evenings  are  cool,  especially  in  the  months 
of  May  and  September,  which  are  probably  the 
pleasantest  months  in  warm  seasons,  although  by  no 
means  the  most  popular.  Great  pains  have  been 
taken,  by  cultivating  trees  in  the  public  gardens,  to 
afford  as  much  shade  as  possible,  and  to  provide  cool 
retreats  from  the  midday  heat,  while  the  abundance 
of  water  available  enables  the  roads  and  the  trees  to 
be  watered  three  times  daily. 

Ems  is  abundantly  supplied  with  mineral  springs  ; 
there  are  five  or  six  principal  ones,  all  having  nearly 
the  same  chemical  composition  and  differing  only  in 
temperature.  The  hottest  is  the  Kesselbrunnen, 
120°  F.  ;  then  the  Fuerstenbrunnen,  102°;  the 
Augustaquelle,  101° ;  the  Kraenchen,  90°  ;  and  the 
coolest,  the  Victoriaquelle,  80°.  Those  of  the 
higher  temperature  are  best  suited  to  certain  cases, 
those  of  the  lower  temperature  to  others.  The  Ems 
springs  belong  to  the  alkaline-saline  group,  and  con- 
tain about  2'o  grammes  of  sodium  bicarbonate  per 
litre  and  1*0  of  sodium  chloride.  They  also  contain 
free  carbonic  acid  in  considerable  amount  and  a  little 
lime  and  magnesia.  Ems  possesses,  too,  a  mild 
chalybeate  spring.  There  are  several  public  bath 
establishments  wrell  fitted  up  for  the  application  of 
hot  and  cold  douches,  massage,  and  various  kinds  of 
baths.  There  are  chambers  for  gargling  and  for 
inhaling  the  pulverised  water,  which  may  also  be  had 
medicated  with  pine  oil  or  other  substances.  There 
are  compressed  air  chambers  and  also  apparatus 
(Waldenberg's)  for  inspiring  compressed  air  and 
expiring  into  rarefied  air — of  use  in  the  treatment  of 
pulmonary  emphysema.  Artificial  gaseous  salt  baths 
are  given. 

The  chief  uses  of  these  waters  is  in  the  treatment 
of  chronic  catarrhs  of  the  throat  and  air  passages, 
and  in  the  treatment  of  those  affections  they  are 
drunk,  used  in  the  form  of  inhalations  and  sprays, 
and  as  gargles,  and  also  bathed  in.  They  are 
applied  in  certain  forms  of  gout,  especially  in  the  acid 


SECT.  B.]  ENGHIEN,  175 

dyspepsias  of  the  gouty  and  those  forms  of  gout  that 
require  gentle  rather  than  active  treatment,  or  that 
are  associated  with  bronchial  catarrh  or  urinary 
calculi  or  cystitis.  In  some  forms  of  dyspepsia,  with 
congestion  of  the  liver,  or  inflammation  of  the  bile 
ducts  or  chronic  diarrhoea,  the  Ems  waters  often  do 
good.  Those  chronic  affections  of  the  joints  resulting 
from  attacks  of  rheumatic  fever  are  said  to  be  bene- 
fited by  treatment  there.  Ems  is  also  very  decidedly 
a  "ladies'  bath,"  and  is  found  very  serviceable  in 
cases  of  leucorrhcea,  uterine  catarrh,  and  dysmenor- 
rhcea  in  the  neurotic.  It  is  customary  there  to 
apply  a  vaginal  douche  in  the  bath.  Ems  has  also 
a  traditional  reputation  for  the  cure  of  sterility. 

The  climate  of  Ems  is,  as  has  been  said,  mild  and 
relaxing,  and  from  the  beginning  of  July  to  the 
middle  of  August  the  midday  heat  is  often  very 
great.  The  town  is,  however,  reported  to  be  very 
healthy.  It  is  not  only  abundantly  supplied  with 
water  but  well  drained. 

One  of  the  great  recommendations  of  Ems  is  its 
exceeding  accessibility  and  the  good  hotel  accom- 
modation provided  there.  It  can  be  reached  via 
Cologne  in  sixteen  hours  from  London. 

Tradition  still  governs  the  method  of  drinking 
the  waters  at  Ems,  and  the  invalids,  young  and 
old,  active  or  feeble,  begin  to  consume  their  daily 
allowance  between  6  and  8  a.m.  The  dose  is  re- 
peated in  the  afternoon  between  four  and  six.  The 
early  morning  hour  is,  no  doubt,  a  good  time  for 
taking  warm  solvent  water  in  many  cases,  but  it 
does  not  admit  of  doubt  that  many  feeble  and 
delicate  constitutions  would  do  better  to  remain  in 
their  beds  until  eight  or  nine  o'clock,  and  have  their 
first  glass  of  water  brought  to  their  bedside. 

The  season  is  from  May  ist  to  Oct.  ist. 

Enghien,  a  cold  sulphur  spa  in  the  environs  of 
Paris,  from  which  it  is  distant  only  seven  or  eight 
miles,  a  journey  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour  by  quick 


176  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

trains  on  the  northern  line.  It  is  a  prettily  built 
suburb,  having  a  small  lake  and  tastefully  arranged 
pleasure-grounds.  Pleasant  walks  and  excursions  can 
be  had  in  the  neighbourhood,  especially  in  the 
adjacent  forest  of  Montmorency. 

Enghien  has  as  many  as  eight  springs,  all  of 
similar  chemical  composition  and  differing  only  in 
the  proportion  of  the  ingredients  they  contain. 

The  total  solids  in  the  stronger  springs  amount 
to  0*80,  the  chief  in  quantity  being  calcium  carbonate 
and  sulphate.  But  the  characteristic  ingredients  are 
calcium  sulphide  and  free  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  of 
which  there  are  38  c.c.  per  litre ;  free  carbonic  acid  and 
nitrogen  gases  are  also  contained  in  these  springs. 
Traces  of  organic  nitrogenous  matters,  too,  are  found. 

A  modern  perfectly  equipped  bath  establishment 
provides  all  the  most  recent  methods  of  applying 
mineral  waters — baths  with  general  and  local 
douches  ;  douches  of  high  pressure  ;  nasal,  pharyn- 
geal,  vaginal,  and  ascending  douches ;  chambers  for 
sulphurous  inhalations  and  pulverisations  ;  electric 
baths  with  sulphur  water. 

A  recent  installation  is  devoted  to  the  application 
of  warm  sulphurous  irrigations  to  the  uterine  cavity. 

The  waters  are  also  drunk,  besides  being  used  for 
gargling. 

There  is  an  annexe  in  the  park  for  hydropathic 
treatment. 

The  Enghien  waters  are  employed  chiefly  in 
affections  of  the  throat  and  respiratory  organs,  cases 
of  chronic  granular  pharyngitis,  laryngitis,  bronchitis, 
and  humid  asthma  in  the  rheumatic  and  herpetic. 
They  are  considered  especially  applicable  to  the 
treatment  of  catarrhal  diseases  of  the  nose  and  throat 
in  public  speakers,  actors,  singers,  etc. 

Chronic  catarrhal  affections  of  the  genito-urinary 
organs,  chronic  metritis,  especially  when  associated 
with  anaemia,  chlorosis,  and  lymphatism,  are  benefited 
by  the  internal  irrigations  referred  to. 

Chronic  skin  diseases,  such  as  eczema,  impetigo, 


SECT.  B  ]  EVIAN.  177 

acne,  lichen,  cases  of  chronic  rheumatism,  muscular 
or  articular,  stiff  joints,  cases  of  sciatica,  and  some 
forms  of  neurotic  paresis,  are  benefited.  Special  apart- 
ments are  appropriated  to  the  treatment  of  syphilitic 
cases. 

As  may  be  imagined,  Enghien  being  a  suburb  of 
Paris,  life  there  is  characterised  by  much  gaiety  and 
brightness  ;  concerts  and  balls  in  the  casino,  regattas 
on  the  lake,  etc. 

The  season  is  from  May  i5th  to  Oct.  i5th.  June, 
July,  and  August  are  the  preferable  months. 

Evian  (Lake  of  Geneva). — The  agreeable  situa- 
tion of  the  little  town  of  Evian,  1,200  feet  above 
the  sea,  just  in  the  centre  of  the  attractions  of 
Lake  Leman,  its  mild  and  genial  climate,  and  its 
ready  accessibility,  by  rail  and  steamboat,  both 
from  the  north  and  from  the  south,  have  no  doubt 
contributed  greatly  to  its  popularity.  It  is  just 
opposite  Lausanne,  and  the  lake  steamers  cross  in 
half  an  hour.  From  Geneva  by  express  boat  it 
is  two  and  a-half  hours. 

It  is  said  that  the  air  of  Evian  and  its  vicinity 
is  peculiarly  favourable  to  those  delicate,  anaemic, 
hypersensitive  young  children  who  do  not  prosper 
at  the  seaside.  It  is  assuredly  not  uncommon  to 
meet  with  young  feeble  children  who,  if  sent  to 
the  seaside,  become  bilious,  languid,  and  irritable, 
lose  their  appetite,  and  become  weaker  instead  of 
stronger.  There  is  something  in  the  air  of  the 
sea  coast  which  seems  to  irritate  instead  of  bracing 
them,  and  it  would  seem  that  such  children  obtain 
great  benefit  from  the  more  mildly  tonic  air  of 
Evian,  and  recover  there  their  strength,  their 
vivacity,  and  their  colour. 

Evian  possesses  five  springs  of  nearly  identical 
composition  ;  the  two  chief  are  La  Source  Cachat 
and  La  Source  Bonne-vie.  They  give  their  names  to 
two  distinct  bath  establishments.  The  Cachat  has 
the  greatest  renown,  and  it  is  largely  exported. 


1 78  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

These  springs  are  cold  and  very  feebly  mineral- 
ised ;  they  contain,  however,  some  amount  of 
oxygen,  nitrogen,  and  carbonic  acid  gases.  It  has 
been  suggested  that  the  springs  act  much  in  the 
same  manner  as  distilled  water  would,  and  owing 
to  great  purity  and  the  absence  of  solid  mineral 
substances,  their  solvent  and  purifying  properties 
are  greatly  increased ;  while,  by  their  fresh  and 
pleasant  taste,  they  are  rendered  much  more 
digestible  and  more  readily  absorbed  than  distilled 
water  would  be.  Very  large  quantities  of  the  Evian 
water  can  be  consumed  and  absorbed  daily,  if 
some  little  care  is  taken  to  accustom  the  stomach 
to  its  use — "  from  four  to  twenty-five  glasses  a  day  "  ! 
When  it  is  taken  as  a  solvent  of  uric  acid,  it  is 
considered  that  the  possibilities  of  absorbing  such 
large  quantities  of  this  very  feebly  mineralised 
water  is  altogether  an  advantage,  because  it  pos- 
sesses the  important  property  of  taking  up  more 
freely  the  less  soluble  organic  salts  encountered  in 
its  passage  through  the  organism. 

This  water  may  be  regarded,  then,  as  washing 
the  blood  and  the  tissues,  and  removing  from  them 
any  deleterious  excrementitious  substances  that  are 
difficult  of  solution  ;  hence  its  value  in  the  uric  acid 
diathesis. 

The  published  analyses  of  the  Evian  sources 
vary  somewhat,  but  the  following  may  be  regarded 
as  a  fairly  accurate  approximation.  In  a  litre  (1,000 
grammes) : 

Grammes. 

Sulphate  of  potassium          0-0052 

Bicarbonate  of  sodium         ...         0*0089 

,,  magnesium...         ...         ...  0*1244 

,,  calcium        ...         ...         ...  0*2822 

Chloride  of  sodium 0*0030 

Sulphate  of  sodium 0*0079 

Free  carbonic  acid 0*03672 

It  will  be  seen  by  the  above  that  it  is  a  slightly 
alkaline  and  very  feebly  mineralised  water.  With 


SECT,    B.]  EVIAN.  1/9 

regard  to  its  properties,  it  is  said  to  be  remarkably 
diuretic.  In  the  next  place  it  promotes  appetite, 
and  in  large  doses  it  excites  the  processes  of  retro- 
grade metamorphosis  to  such  a  degree  that,  not- 
withstanding the  consumption  of  an  increased 
quantity  of  food,  many  persons  become  much 
thinner.  It  has  been  said  of  Evian  water  that  it 
acts  "  not  by  what  it  brings,  but  by  what  it  carries 
away  "  ! 

Its  property  of  increasing  the  urinary  excretion 
renders  it  a  valuable  remedy  in  cases  of  gravel, 
renal  calculi,  etc. 

The  quantity  taken  varies  from  two  to  twenty- 
five  glasses  a  day,  according  to  the  case  and  the 
object  in  view.  It  is  usual  to  begin  with  small 
doses,  and  to  take  at  least  two-thirds  of  the  total 
quantity  between  getting  up  and  half  an  hour  before 
the  dejeuner  a  la  fourchette.  The  dose  of  water 
must  not  be  incautiously  increased,  but  it  must  be 
first  observed  if  it  passes  away  freely  by  the  kidneys, 
and  if  it  is  absorbed  without  any  trouble  or  incon- 
venience. If  it  either  purges  or  constipates,  some 
medical  treatment  should  be  had  recourse  to,  in 
order  to  modify  this  effect. 

The  baths  generally  have  a  soothing,  sedative 
effect,  relieving  the  pains  of  chronic  cystitis,  and 
nephritis,  and  restoring  sleep  to  irritable  nervous 
subjects.  They,  however,  not  unfrequently  excite 
a  return  of  subacute  gouty  attacks  in  those  who 
are  prone  to  them,  and  in  some  highly  neurotic 
excitable  patients  they  occasionally  cause  irritation 
and  exhaustion.  The  alkalinity  of  the  baths  is  of 
use  in  some  skin  affections,  especially  the  lichenous 
and  pruritic  cases. 

It  is  usual  to  drink  one  or  two  glasses  ot  the 
water  while  in  the  bath. 

Injections  of  the  water  while  in  the  bath  are 
useful  in  some  uterine  affections. 

With  respect  to  the  maladies  especially  suited 
to  treatment  at  Evain,  the  various  forms  of  chronic 


i8o  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

dyspepsia  must  first  be  mentioned  ;  and  the  cases 
of  nervous  and  gouty  dyspeptics,  with  tendency 
to  great  discomfort  from  flatulent  distension,  are 
treated  in  a  special  manner  here  by  means  of  what 
is  called  the  "  dyspeptic  douche."  This  douche  is 
applied  over  the  abdomen  and  stomach,  and  is 
accompanied  by  skilful  massage.  This  method  is 
said  to  yield  remarkably  good  results,  even  in  very 
inveterate  cases.  The  douche  is  applied  twice  a 
day,  together  with  massage,  and  from  five  to  twelve 
glasses  of  the  water  are  drunk. 

In  the  next  place  must  be  mentioned  renal  and 
bladder  affections,  and  amongst  these  certain  forms 
of  chronic  albuminuria  are  said  to  be  greatly  bene- 
fited by  treatment  at  Evian,  especially  the  form 
due  to  catarrh  al  desquamative  nephritis,  and  also 
the  cases  of  parenchymatous  nephritis.  Speaking 
of  the  use  of  Evian  water  in  this  latter  affection, 
the  late  Professor  Noel  Gueneau  de  Massy  said : 
"  This  is  the  most  easily  digested  water  known, 
and  it  is  voided  easily  on  account  of  its  eminently 
diuretic  properties.  It  carries  with  it,  without 
fatiguing  the  kidneys,  all  the  epithelial  and  other 
debris  which  in  case  of  inflammation  encumbers 
the  renal  filter." 

The  cure  at  Evian  is  also  recommended  in  cases 
of  chronic  pyelitis,  especially  when  it  has  been 
induced  by  lithiasis  and  preceded  by  the  passage 
of  renal  calculi. 

But  it  is  in  cases  of  uric  acid  deposits  and  excess 
of  urates  in  the  urine,  betraying  the  existence  ot 
a  gouty  condition,  that  the  water  of  Evian  is  con- 
sidered especially  beneficial,  and  it  is  more  particu- 
larly indicated  in  those  individuals  who  are  the 
subjects  of  asthenic  gout,  and  who  require  gentle 
methods  of  treatment.  It  is  desirable  to  begin 
with  small  doses  of  water,  three  to  four  glasses  a 
day,  which  may  be  increased  slowly  up  to  twenty. 

Cases  of  renal  colic,  due  to  the  presence  of 
urinary  concretions  (gravel  and  calculi),  are  fit 


SECT.  B.]  EVIAN—AMPHION.  181 

subjects  for  the  Kvian  course,  and  are  often  remark- 
ably benefited  thereby. 

Cases  of  vesical  catarrh  not  due  to  any  organic 
cause  but  the  result  of  chill,  or  of  some  temporary 
local  or  constitutional  morbid  condition,  are  said  to 
be  cured  at  Evian. 

Cases  of  gouty  or  hepatic  diabetes  are  benefited 
at  Evian. 

It  is  further  claimed  for  the  course  of  treatment 
and  the  regime  pursued  at  Evian,  that  it  is  very 
beneficial  and  calming  to  persons  of  hypersensitive 
nervous  organisation,  who  are  suffering  from  ovei- 
fatigue  of  the  nervous  system,  sleeplessness,  loss  of 
appetite,  etc. 

Every  recent  development  of  hydrotherapeutic 
treatment  can  be  carried  out  at  the  Institut 
Hydro therapique,  one  of  the  most  complete  in- 
stitutions of  the  kind  in  France. 

The  season  extends  from  May  i5th  to  Oct.  isth, 
but  the  best  period  for  treatment  there  is  from  July  ist 
to  Sept.  1 5th. 

Accommodation  can  be  obtained  at  Evian  to 
suit  all  classes— rich  and  poor — in  villas,  hotels, 
and  pensions.  There  is  also  a  "  hospice "  for  the 
reception  and  treatment  of  patients,  with  accom- 
modation varying  according  to  the  price  paid. 

The  life  at  Evian  is,  during  the  season,  gay 
and  cheerful,  and  a  variety  of  amusements — balls, 
comedies,  operettas,  and  "  concerts — are  provided 
daily  at  the  casino.  There  is  a  great  variety  of 
attractive  excursions  to  be  taken  on  the  lake  or 
into  the  surrounding  country. 

Amphion. — Within  a  twenty  minutes'  walk  of  Evian,  and  al- 
most a  part  of  it,  is  Amphion.  Its  situation  on  the  border  of  the 
lake  is  very  picturesque.  The  bath  establishment  is  situated  in 
its  own  grounds,  which  extend  down  to  the  lake.  It  is  not 
one  large  building,  but  consists  of  three  detached  residences, 
and  is  specially  suited  to  persons  who  need  repose  and 
prefer  retirement.  There  is  a  landing-place  and  jetty  for 
steamers  and  boats  close  at  hand.  The  hotel  and  restaurant 


182 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


arrangements  are  excellent.  Amphion  lies  at  the  foot  of  a  hill 
which  protects  it,  in  the  heat  ot  summer,  from  the  southern 
sun,  and  as  the  neighbourhood  is  well  wooded  the  air  is 
usually  fresher  and  cooler  than  at  Evian. 

There  are  good  arrangements  for  baths  and  douches, 
but  on  a  much  smaller  scale  than  at  Evian. 

Amphion  possesses  three  mildly  alkaline  springs  almost 
identical  in  composition  with  those  at  Evian,  and  therefore 
it  is  appropriate  to  the  treatment  of  the  same  class  of  cases. 
Amphion,  however,  boasts  of  the  possession  of  a  spring 
containing  iron,  and  the  use  of  this  alkaline-chalybeate 
spring  is  recommended  in  cases  in  which  anaemia  and 
chlorosis  play  a  predominant  role. 

For  invalids  requiring  a  quiet,  picturesque,  and  cheerful 
summer  residence  in  mildly  bracing  air,  away  from  the 
excitement  and  gaiety  of  a  fashionable  spa,  and  yet  with 
such  a  resort  and  its  resources  within  ready  access,  Amphion 
presents  exceptional  attractions. 


Eberswalde,  in  the  province  of 
Brandenburg,  with  a  station  be- 
tween Berlin  and  Stettin,  has  a 
weak  chalybeate  water  which  is 
largely  exported.  Besides  this 
there  are  utilised  for  treatment 
artificial  carbonic  acid  baths  and 
mud  baths  from  the  sea-water 
•  marshes  at  Britz,  as  well  as  hydro- 
pathy. Neurasthenic  and  con- 
valescent cases  are  sent  there. 

The  season  is  from  May  to 
October. 

Eilsen,  a  cold  sulphur  bath  in 
the  principality  of  Lippe  Schaum- 
burg,  and  about  an  hour's  drive 
from  the  railway  station  Bucke- 
burg,  between  Minden  and  Han- 
over. There  are  seven  springs. 
Those  used  for  drinking  are  the 
Julianenbrunnen  and  the  Georgen- 
brunnen.  The  former  contains 
free  H2S  (34  vols.  per  litre)  cal- 
cium sulphate  (2-0),  and  smaller 
amounts  of  sodium  chloride,  so- 
dium sulphate,  etc.  The  other 
springs  are  used  for  baths.  There 
is  also  a  weak  chalybeate  spring. 
Inhalations  and  gargles,  sulphu- 
rous mud  baths,  massage,  and 
electricity  are  utilised.  The  chief 


,    maladies   treated  there  are  gout, 

rheumatism,    neuralgia,    metallic 

poisonings,  paralysis,  skin  diseases, 

and    catarrh    of    the    respiratory 

I   organs. 

Season,  May  15  to  Sept.  i. 

Elmen,  one  of  the  oldest  salt 
baths  in  Germany,  possesses  cold 
salt  wells,  owned  by  the  Prussian 
State.  It  is  situated  in  Saxony, 
near  Magdeburg,  and  it  is  con- 
nected by  a  tramway  with  the 
station  Schonebeck-Elbe. 

The  Victoriaquelle  contains 
26-0  per  litre  of  common  salt.  It 
is  used  for  drinking  (often  mixed 
with  seltzer  water  or  whey)  and 
for  baths.  It  is  diluted  with  fresh 
water  for  the  baths,  and  Mutter- 
lauge  is  sometimes  added.  Arti- 
ficial sulphur  baths  and  carbonic 
acid  baths  are  prepared.  Salt 
spray  inhalations  (produced  by 
compressed  air)  are  also  adminis- 
tered. The  diseases  treated  there 
include  gout  and  rheumatism, 
scrofula,  neurasthenia,  catarrh  of 
the  air-passages,  and  female  com- 
plaints. 

The  season  is  from  May  i  to 
Oct.  i. 


SECT.    B.] 


FLOP  A  TA  K—E  VA  UX. 


183 


Elopatak,  in  Transylvania, 
pleasantly  situated  in  a  valley  at 
an  elevation  of  2,000  feet,  about 
twelve  miles  from  Kronstadt, 
possesses  cold  strong  alkaline 
gaseous  chalybeate  springs.  The 
principal  springs  contain  0-09  per 
litre  of  bicarbonate  of  iron,  i'o 
bicarbonate  of  sodium,  and  1-5 
each  of  bicarbonate  of  calcium  and 
magnesium,  and  much  free  car- 
bonic acid  gas.  A  valuable  com- 
bination, but  this  spa  is  too  far 
distant  to  be  of  any  practical  use 
to  English  patients.  Hydro- 
therapy  is  applied.  Gastric  dis- 
orders, anaemia,  and  menstrual 
irregularities  are  treated  there. 

The  season  is  from  the  middle 
of  May  to  the  end  of  September. 

Encausse  (Haute  Garonne),  in 
a  picturesque  and  pleasant  situa- 
tion a  few  miles  from  St.  Gaudens, 
on  the  line  between  Toulouse  and 
Tarbes,  possesses  sulphate  of  lime 
springs  containing  also  a  little  sul- 
phate of  magnesia  and  sulphate  of 
soda.  Like  Contrexeville,  it  be- 
longs to  the  class  of  earthy  cal- 
careous waters.  They  are  slightly 
laxative  and  diuretic.  They  are 
said  to  act  most  efficaciously  in 
the  cure  of  the  sequelae  of  malarial 
fever.  They  are  also  used  to  cure 
obstinate  constipation,  and  in  he- 
patic and  renal  gravel.  Uterine 
enlargements  in  the  hysterical  and 
nervous  are  also  benefited. 

The  season  is  from  May  15  to 
Oct.  i. 

Erdobenye  is  a  Hungarian  chaly- 
beate spa  three  miles  from  the 
railway  station  Liszka-Tolcsva,  in 
a  wooded  valley  at  an  altitude  of 
780  feet.  Its  waters  contain  sul- 
phate of  iron,  alum,  and  arsenic. 
It  has  little  interest  for  English 
people. 

Escaldas,  Les,  a  thermal  sul- 
phur spa  in  the  Pyrenees  Orien- 
tales,  in  France,  but  close  to  the 
frontier  of  Spain.  It  is  situated 
at  an  altitude  of  4,400  feet.  The 


Grande  Source  has  a  tempera- 
ture of  nearly  110°  F.,  and  con- 
tains sodium  sulphide.  It  is  some- 
what difficult  of  access  and  out  of 
the  way. 

Essentuke,  a  Russian  spa  in  the 
Caucasus,  ten  miles  from  Piati- 
gorsk,  has  cold  gaseous  alkaline 
and  common  salt  springs,  and  also 
sulphur  springs  only  used  exter- 
nally. The  former  belong  to  the 
same  class  as  the  Ems  springs,  but 
are  more  than  twice  as  strong. 
The  place  is  too  difficult  of  access 
to  be  of  use  to  English  patients. 

Euzet,  a  small  sulphur  bath 
(calcium  sulphide)  in  the  south  of 
France,  between  Martinet  and 
Tarascon,  eighteen  hours  from 
Paris.  The  springs,  which  are 
cold,  are  characterised  specially 
by  containing  some  bituminous 
organic  matters.  They  also  con- 
tain some  salts  of  magnesium  and 
sodium  and  some  free  carbonic 
acid,  which  promote  their  diges- 
tion. They  are  taken  internally 
in  cases  of  gastro-intestinal  dys- 
pepsia with  hepatic  engorgement, 
and  used  externally  in  subacute 
forms  of  rheumatism,  and  as  in- 
halations in  chronic  laryngitis, 
bronchial  catarrh,  asthma,  and 
tuberculosis.  It  possesses  a  well- 
equipped  bath  establishment. 

Season,  from  May  to  October. 

Evaux,  a  French  bath  situated  on 
the  Orleans  line  of  railway  twenty- 
eight  kilometres  from  Montlucon, 
in  a  retired  and  picturesque  situa- 
tion at  an  elevation  of  1,400  feet. 
It  is  reached  from  Paris  in  six  and 
a-half  hours.  It  has  several  hot 
springs  of  feeble  mineralisation, 
bringing  it  under  the  class  of  simple 
thermal  baths.  They  vary  in  tem- 
perature from  80°  to  130°  F.  The 
water  contains  0-717  grammes  of 
sodium  sulphate  per  litre  and  a 
small  amount  of  sodium  chloride. 
Its  speciality  is  the  number  of  con- 
fervas it  contains,  which  float  on 
the  water  as  a  thick  greenish  scum, 


1 84  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I. 


termed  limon ;  and  it  is  used  for 
local  applications. 

The  waters  are  chiefly  used 
externally  in  three  well-appointed 
establishments.  Their  value  de- 
pends mainly  on  their  warmth 
and  the  mode  of  their  employment. 
They  are  used  in  the  treatment  of 


cases  of  articular  and  muscular 
rheumatism  and  rheumatic  neu- 
ralgia, especially  in  the  lymphatic 
and  scrofulous,  also  in  respiratory 
affections  and  certain  forms  of 
scrofulous  skin  affections. 

The  season  is  from  June  i   to 
Oct.  i. 


Forges-les-Eaux,  which  has  cold  chalybeate  springs, 
is  conveniently  situated,  and  easily  accessible,  on  the 
line  of  railway  between  Dieppe  and  Paris,  in  the 
Department  of  Seine  Inferieure.  It  has  an  elevation 
of  525  feet,  in  a  highly  cultivated,  well-wooded,  and 
picturesque  country  affording  many  agreeable  ex- 
cursions. It  is  protected  from  north  winds,  but  its 
climate  is  somewhat  variable,  on  the  whole  soft  and 
rather  humid,  and  is  observed  to  have  a  sedative 
effect  on  the  nervous  system,  which  has  been 
attributed  to  the  influence  of  sea  air  modified  by 
its  passage  over  ten  leagues  of  somewhat  moist 
and  wooded  intervening  country. 

It  has  three  iron  springs,  varying  in  strength  and 
named,  from  the  visit  of  Anne  of  Austria,  Louis  XIII. , 
and  Cardinal  Richelieu  in  the  seventeenth  century, 
Reinette,  Royale,  and  Cardinale.  The  iron  exists 
in  the  water  in  the  form  of  protocrenate,  which  is 
considered  very  assin  ilable.  It  is  usual  to  begin 
with  the  weakest  spring,  Reinette,  which  contains 
only  0-03  grammes  per  litre,  then  to  pass  on  to  the 
next,  Royale,  with  0*07,  and  to  finish  with  the 
strongest,  Cardinale,  having  0*10.  It  is  usual  to 
begin  with  quite  small  doses — one-third  to  half  a  glass 
—and  to  increase  the  dose  gradually  to  five  or  six 
glasses  a  day. 

The  waters  have  very  little  mineral  contents 
besides  the  iron — bicarbonate  of  magnesia  (0*07),  sul- 
phate of  lime  (0*04),  alumina  (0*03),  and  a  little  free 
carbonic  acid. 

These  springs  are  found  to  have  a  very  diuretic 
effect,  be)Tond  what  is  usual  with  chalybeate  springs. 


SECT.  B.]  FRANZENSBAD.  185 

An  excellently  fitted-up  bath  establishment,  in  a 
large  park,  provides  all  that  is  needed  in  the  way  of 
baths,  douches,  etc.,  as  well  as  of  amusement. 

It  is  usual  to  give  the  baths  at  a  temperature  or 
85°  F.,  but  douches  are  sometimes  given  in  connection 
with  hydrotherapeutic  treatment  at  the  natural 
temperature  of  the  water,  about  42°  F.  The  dura- 
tion of  the  bath  is  from  fifteen  minutes  to  an  hour. 

The  cases  treated  at  Forges-les-Eaux  are,  in  the 
first  place,  those  usually  sent  to  chalybeate  spas, 
chlorosis,  anaemia,  and  their  results;  convalescents 
from  acute  disease ;  asthenic  and  atonic  dyspepsias ; 
in  addition  the  local  authorities  mention  chronic 
diarrhoea  and  dysentery,  menstrual  irregularities, 
uterine  troubles  arising  from  miscarriage  or  over- 
fatigue,  chronic  metritis  and  maladies  causing  sterility, 
and  many  neuroses.  These  waters  were  at  one  time 
much  used  in  the  treatment  of  vesical  catarrh,  gravel, 
and  nephritic  colic.  The  season  begins  June  i5th 
and  ends  Sept.  i5th.  July  and  August  are  the  best 
months. 

Franzensbad  is  one  of  the  three  best  known 
Bohemian  baths,  the  other  two  being  Carlsbad  and 
Marienbad.  They  are  all  approached  from  England 
through  the  frontier  town  of  Eger,  from  which 
Franzensbad  is  only  distant  five  miles. 

These  springs  resemble  one  another,  more  or  less, 
in  chemical  composition,  but  vary  in  strength  ;  but 
the  distinguishing  characteristic  of  the  Franzensbad 
springs  is  that  some  of  them  contain  a  notable 
amount  of  iron,  so  that  it  is  in  a  certain  sense  a 
chalybeate  spa.  It  is  also  the  chief  and  typical  repre- 
sentative of  the  Moor  or  mud  baths,  the  lormer  being 
the  appropriate  name.  Franzensbad  is  moreover 
distinguished  as  a  "  ladies'  bath,"  since  its  waters 
and  Moor  baths  have  long  been  applied  to  the  treat- 
ment of  disease  of  the  female  pelvic  organs. 

The  town  is  built  on  a  plateau  or  depression  and 
has  a  fine  park  for  promenades,  but  its  situation  is 


1 86  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

less  picturesque  than  that  of  either  of  its  neighbours, 
Carlsbad  or  Marienbad.  Its  elevation  above  the  sea 
is  nearly  1,400  feet,  and  though  hot  in  the  midday  in 
the  summer,  it  is  fresh  and  pleasantly  cool  in  the 
mornings  and  evenings. 

Franzensbad  possesses  twelve  different  cold 
mineral  springs,  and  these  may  be  arranged,  according 
to  their  composition  and  uses,  into  three  groups, 
one  of  which,  the  Salzquelle,  may  be  taken  as  the 
type,  and  may  be  regarded  as  a  cold  Carlsbad 
water ;  another,  represented  by  the  Stahlquelle, 
which  contains  a  notable  amount  of  iron ;  and  a 
third,  perhaps  the  most  characteristic  and  most 
resorted  to,  of  the  place,  combining,  as  it  were,  the 
qualities  of  the  other  two,  the  Franzensquelle.  The 
following  table  shows  the  relation  in  composition 
of  these  springs  to  one  another  and  to  the  typical 
Carlsbad  spring. 

Franzensbad  Carlsbad  Franzensbad 

Salzquelle.  Sprudel.  Stahlquelle. 

Sodium  sulphate  ...  2*802  2*405  1-614 

„        carbonate  ...  0*677  1*298  0-574 

,,       chloride  ...  1*140  1*041  o'6i2 

Calcium  carbonate  ...  0*183  0-321  0*199 

Magnesium     ,,  ...  0-103  0*166  0*053 

Iron  ,,  ...  0*009  0'003  °'°78 

The  Franzensquelle  represents  a  group  intermedi- 
ate in  composition  between  the  Salzquelle  and  the 
Stahlquelle,  having  more  sodium  sulphate  than  the 
former  (3*190  to  3*505)  and  less  iron  carbonate  than 
the  latter  (0*017  to  0*030).  They  are  all  rich  in  car- 
bonic acid  gas.  Franzensbad  also  possesses  a  simple 
gaseous  acidulated  spring  resembling  the  ordinary 
"  table  waters." 

It  will  be  seen  from  the  above  table  that  all 
these  springs  contain  sodium  sulphate,  carbonate,  and 
chloride,  like  the  two  other  great  Bohemian  spas, 
but  some  in  smaller  proportions  ;  one,  the  Stahl- 
quelle, has  in  addition  a  considerable  proportion  of 
iron,  while  its  saline  constituents  are  considerably 


SECT.  B.]  FRANZENSBAD.  187 

less.  The  Neuquelle,  one  of  the  second  group,  is 
however  now  stated  to  contain  more  iron  (0-127) 
than  the  Stahlquelle. 

Some  are  disposed  to  call  attention  to  a  small 
amount  of  carbonate  of  lithium  which  some  of  the 
springs  contain,  the  largest  amount  (0*010)  being 
found  in  the  Neuquelle  and  the  Nathaliequelle.  This 
means  that  there  is  about  three-twentieths  of  a  grain 
of  carbonate  of  lithium  in  a  quart  of  water  !  It  can 
hardly  be  believed  that  this  minute  quantity  can 
have  any  special  therapeutic  action. 

In  addition  to  the  use  of  these  mineral  springs 
internally,  Franzensbad  is  an  important  bathing  spa, 
which  employs  several  kinds  of  baths  for  therapeutic 
purposes,  and  has  four  well-equipped  bath  establish- 
ments (containing  460  rooms)  in  which  they  are 
applied.  These  baths  are  often  spoken  of  as  of 
three  kinds — (a)  the  mineral  baths,  (b)  the  steel 
baths,  and  (c)  the  Moor  baths.  But  as  mineral  water 
enters  into  the  composition  of  all  of  them  the  classi- 
fication is  purely  artificial.  What  are  termed  the 
"  mineral  baths,"  and  sometimes  the  "  Louisen  baths," 
because  the  Louisenquelle  is  chiefly  used  to  supply 
them,  on  account  of  its  abundant  yield  of  water,  are 
ordinary  mineral  water  baths,  heated  by  steam, 
which  causes  the  loss  of  a  certain  amount  of  the  free 
carbonic  acid.  What  are  known  as  the  "  steel  baths  " 
are  baths  which  are  heated  in  a  different  manner, 
so  that  they  retain  much  more  of  this  carbonic  acid  ; 
the  method  is  that  known  as  the  Schwarz  system, 
in  which  the  baths,  having  a  double  bottom,  are 
heated  by  a  steam  chamber  or  pipes  at  the  bottom 
of  the  bath.  These  baths,  rich  in  carbonic  acid  gas, 
are  regarded  as  more  stimulating  than  the  "mineral " 
ones  which  are  heated  differently. 

Finally,  there  are  the  celebrated  Moor  baths. 
The  peat  used  in  preparing  these  baths  is  obtained 
from  moorland  in  the  surrounding  district,  of  which 
the  supply  is  practically  unlimited,  so  that  fresh 
moor  can  be  used  for  each  bath.  The  moor 


1 88  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

earth  is  treated  in  a  special  manner,  which  need 
not  be  detailed  here,  but  which  comprises  a  saturation 
with  the  salts  of  the  mineral  water.  In  preparing 
these  baths  the  moor  earth,  after  having  been  exposed 
sufficiently  long  to  the  action  of  the  air,  is  first 
saturated  with  mineral  water,  of  which  more  is  added, 
till  the  required  consistency  has  been  attained.  The 
mineral  water  being  charged  with  free  carbonic  acid,  a 
certain  amount  of  this  gas  enters  into  the  com- 
position of  the  bath.  From  Castellieri's  analysis  it 
appears  that  this  peat,  when  prepared  for  the  bath 
and  ready  for  use,  contains  as  much  as  25  per  cent. 
of  substances  soluble  in  water,  of  which  9*7  per  cent, 
is  sulphate  of  iron.  These  baths  are  usually  given  of  a 
temperature  of  90°  to  95°  F.  The  patient  reclines 
in  the  bath,  but  not  so  as  to  allow  the  upper  part 
of  the  chest  to  be  covered,  so  that  the  bath  acts 
practically  like  a  large  poultice  to  the  lower  half  of 
the  trunk  and  the  lower  extremities. 

The  bath  can  also  be  applied  locally  to  a 
joint  or  limb  or  a  definite  portion  of  the  surface  of 
the  body.  A  cleansing  bath  of  mineral  water  is 
taken  after  the  bath,  and  before  entering  it  the  moor 
earth  covering  the  body  is  washed  off  by  water 
taken  from  it. 

There  is  still  another  kind  of  bath  given  at 
Franzensbad — viz.  a  natural  carbonic  acid  gas  bath. 
In  a  grove  near  the  Franzensquelle  a  stream  of 
carbonic  acid  gas,  mixed  with  H2S,  ascends  with 
some  force  from  the  ground.  Over  this  a  bath-house 
has  been  erected,  and  suitable  arrangements  are  made 
for  the  general  or  local  application  of  the  dried  and 
purified  gas.  The  precise  therapeutic  value  of  these 
carbonic  acid  baths  has  yet  to  be  determined.  The 
late  Prof.  Frerichs  thought  well  of  them,  and  it  is 
suggested  that  they  are  of  use  in  certain  affections 
of  the  peripheral  nerves,  neuralgia,  hyperaesthesia 
and  anaesthesia,  reflex  and  hysterical  paralysis, 
amenorrhcea,  and  impotence. 

Possessing  so  many  and  various  resources,  it  is 


SECT.  B.]  FRANZENSBAD.  189 

not  to  be  wondered  at  that  Franzensbad  treatment 
is  regarded  as  of  value  in  a  considerable  number  of 
maladies.  It  will,  however,  be  convenient  to  con- 
sider, first  of  all,  those  cases  which  have  acquired 
for  it  so  great  a  reputation  as  a  " ladies'  bath"  ! 
We  may  mention,  in  the  first  place,  the  disorders  of 
adolescence  and  the  period  of  sexual  development: 
amenorrhcea,  dysmenorrhcea,  and  leucorrhcea,  so 
often  associated  with  anaemia  and  chlorosis  and  the 
strain  of  rapid  growth.  In  older  patients,  chronic 
vagino-uterine  catarrh,  chronic  metritis,  uterine  dis- 
placements, oophoritis,  and  pelvic  inflammatory 
exudations ;  a  tendency  to  miscarriages  and  the 
exhaustion  following  profuse  menstruation,  re- 
peated miscarriages,  or  too  rapid  child-bearing. 
Imperfect  or  retarded  development  at  puberty, 
menstrual  irregularities,  vaginismus,  ovarian  neural- 
gia, sterility.  In  all  these  maladies  the  various 
mineral  springs  and  baths  and  the  Moor  baths  may 
be  variously  and  discriminatingly  applied  with 
advantage  by  the  experienced  bath  physicians. 

The  relative  absence  of  constipating  lime  salts  and 
the  presence  of  laxative  constituents  in  these  springs 
render  them  very  appropriate  to  many  of  those 
conditions  in  which  constipation  is  so  frequently  a 
troublesome  complication,  and  the  iron  in  these 
springs  is,  in  those  circumstances,  more  likely  to 
be  assimilated. 

To  pass  now  to  the  consideration  of  other  than 
special  female  maladies  which  may  derive  benefit 
from  treatment  at  Franzensbad.  The  springs  which 
resemble  those  of  Carlsbad  in  composition  may, 
when  warmed,  be  applied  to  the  same  class  of 
cases  as  are  likely  to  be  benefited  by  the  Carlsbad 
waters,  but  who  may  require  rather  milder  and  more 
tonic  treatment,  more  especially  when  an  anaemic 
state  coexists  with  other  maladies.  Several  func- 
tional gastro-hepatic  affections,  habitual  constipation, 
gallstones,  catarrhal  jaundice,  lithaemia,  obesity  in 
the  anaemic,  the  fat  and  gouty  diabetics  ;  certain 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


forms  of  chronic  gout,  gouty  neuralgia,  and  rheu- 
matism in  debilitated  persons. 

Simple  anaemia,  neurasthenic  states,  and  other 
functional  neuroses. 

Certain  chronic  cutaneous  affections,  dependent 
on  anaemia,  scrofula,  and  depressed  tone ;  purpura, 
lichen,  prurigo,  urticaria,  psoriasis,  chronic  eczema, 
and  slowly  healing  ulcers. 

The  life  at  Franzensbad  is  very  quiet,  and  early 
hours  are  the  rule.  The  waters  are  usually  drunk 
between  six  and  nine  in  the  morning  and  again 
between  four  and  seven  in  the  evening.  Walking 
exercise  is  usually  encouraged.  The  hotels  are  good  ; 
quiet  and  comfortable  lodgings  are  easily  obtained 
at  Franzensbad.  The  journey  can  be  made  from 
London  in  twenty-five  hours  by  the  Vienna-Carlsbad 
express  via  Nuremburg. 

The  season  is  from  May  to  the  end  of  September. 
Some  moderately  bracing  place  as  an  "  after-cure  " 
is  very  desirable. 


Fachingen  is  situated  on  the 
Lahn  between  Ems  and  Limburg. 
It  has  a  simple  alkaline  spring 
rich  in  carbonic  acid  gas  and  con- 
taining about  3-5  grammes  of 
bicarbonate  of  sodium  in  a  litre. 
It  is  only  used  for  exportation, 
and  may  be  ordered  in  much  the 
same  manner  as  the  imported 
Vichy  water. 

Farnbuhl,  a  Swiss  «  chalybeate 
spring  in  a  pleasant  sub-alpine 
resort,  at  an  elevation  of  2,310 
feet,  in  Canton  Lucerne,  about  an 
hour's  drive  from  Makers  railway 
station  on  the  Jura-Berne-Lucerne 
line. 

Faulenseebad,  on  the  Lake  of 
Thun,  about  twenty  minutes  above 
the  village  and  landing-stage  of 
that  name,  at  an  elevation  of  2,600 
feet,  commanding  a  magnificent 
view  of  the  lake  and  surrounding 
mountains ;  has  a  cold  calcareous 


earthy  spring  containing  a  very 
small  amount  of  iron  and  a  faint 
trace  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen. 
Its  chief  constituent  is  calcium 
sulphate  (i'45  per  litre),  and  next 
in  amount  is  magnesium  bicar- 
bonate (o -197).  This  water  is  used 
in  the  treatment  of  a  variety  of 
maladies,  and  especially  in  ca- 
tarrhs of  the  mucous  membrane 
of  the  air-passages  and  in  affec- 
tions of  the  urinary  tract. 

Fideris  in  Switzerland,  in  the 
Canton  Grisons,  has  very  weak 
chalybeate  alkaline  gaseous  springs. 
Fideris  is  in  the  Praettigau  valley 
and  has  a  station  on  the  Land- 
quart  -  Davos  railway,  and  the 
baths  are  about  an  hour's  drive 
from  the  station  and  half  an  hour 
from  the  village,  at  an  altitude  of 
3,460  feet.  There  is  only  o'oi6  of 
bicarbonate  of  iron  per  litre  in  the 
water,  the  other  chief  constituents 


SECT.  B.] 


FITERO—FREIERSBA  CH. 


191 


being  sodium  (0742)  and  calcium 
bicarbonate  (0-973),  and  much  free 
carbonic  acid.  The  waters,  com- 
bined with  the  mountain  climate, 
have  a  tonic  and  stimulating 
action.  Fideris  is  locally  recom- 
mended for  a  great  variety  of 
maladies,  but  its  usefulness  is 
chiefly  manifested  in  those  which 
arise  in  connection  with  anaemia 
and  loss  of  tone. 

Fitero,  a  simple  thermal  bath 
(temperature  117°  F.)  in  the  north 
of  Spain  (province  of  Navarra) 
with  a  local  reputation  for  the 
cure  of  chronic  rheumatism. 

Flinsberg,  in  Silesia  (Prussia), 
has  cold  gaseous  chalybeate  springs. 
It  lies  at  an  altitude  of  1,700 
feet  in  the  Queisthal  at  the  foot 
of  the  Isergebirge,  in  a  hilly 
district  surrounded  by  pine  forests, 
with  walks  planned  out  for  Oertel's 
Terrain-Kur.  It  has  a  station 
(Friedeberg)  distant  an  hour's 
drive,  on  the  Friedeberg-Griefen- 
berg  Railway.  Its  climate  is  fresh 
and  bracing.  The  springs  used 
for  drinking  —  the  Ober-  and 
Niederbrunnen — have  about  0-04 
of  bicarbonate  of  iron  per  litre 
and  much  free  carbonic  acid.  The 
other  wells  are  used,  diluted  with 
ordinary  hot  water,  for  baths. 
Other  therapeutic  resources  ap- 
plied there  are  massage,  mud 
baths,  pine-needle  and  pine-bark 
baths  and  inhalations,  and  brine 
inhalations. 

The  maladies  treated  are  anae- 
mia, neurasthenia,  respiratory  and 
circulatory  affections,  and  women's 
diseases. 

The  season  is  from  May  i  to 
Oct.  i. 

Flitwick,  a  cold  chalybeate 
spring  near  Ampthill,  Bedford- 
shire. It  contains  a  considerable 
amount  of  ferric  persulphate— an 
unusual  constituent  of  mineral 
springs— and  has  a  light  yellow 
colour  and  a  slightly  acid  taste. 
It  appears  from  the  Lancet  analysis 


to  contain  2-5  grammes  of  persul- 
phate of  iron  per  litre,  with  a 
little  sulphate  of  alumina,  about 
0-41,  and  smaller  amounts  of  sul- 
phates of  sodium  and  calcium.  Its 
strength  practically  removes  it 
from  the  class  of  ordinary  chaly- 
beate waters.  It  is  given  in  one 
to  three  tablespoonful  doses  in  the 
same  class  of  cases  as  those  for 
which  the  iron  salts  are  usually 
prescribed. 

Frankenhausen,  with  common 
salt  wells,  is  in  the  principality  of 
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt,  and  has 
a  station  on  the  Bretleben-Fran- 
kenhausen  branch  line.  It  lies  at 
an  altitude  of  370  feet.  It  has 
salt  wells  in  connection  with  ad- 
jacent salt  mines.  It  is  used  for 
the  same  purposes  as  other  com- 
mon salt  baths,  and  has  a  sana- 
torium for  scrofulous  children. 

Franz  Joseph,  one  of  the  nume- 
rous Hungarian  ' '  bitter  waters, ' ' 
owing  its  activity  to  the  presence 
of  magnesium  sulphate. 

Frienwalde,  in  Mark-Branden- 
burg (Prussia),  on  the  Oder,  with 
a  station  on  the  Frankfort-on- 
Oder-Angermunde  line,  has  weak 
earthy  cold  chalybeate  springs, 
containing  a  small  amount  of  car- 
bonate of  iron  (0-02  per  litre), 
together  with  calcium  and  mag- 
nesium carbonate,  and  a  small 
amount  of  carbonic  acid  gas. 
These  springs  are  used  for  drink- 
ing and  for  baths  and  douches. 
Mud  baths,  artificial  carbonic  acid 
brine  baths,  pine-needle  baths, 
and  vapour  baths  are  also  pre- 
pared and  applied  there.  Cases 
treated  there  are  those  of  anaemia, 
retarded  convalescence,  rheu- 
matism, and  female  maladies. 

The  season  is  from  May  15  to 
Sept.  30.  It  is  a  summer  resort 
of  the  people  of  Berlin. 

Freiersbach,  having  cold  gaseous 
alkaline-earthy  chalybeate  springs, 
is  situated  in  the  Baden  portion 
of  the  Black  Forest,  in  the 


192 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


commune  of  Petersthal,  four  miles 
and  a-half  from  the  railway 
station  Oppenau.  It  is  one  of 
the  Kniebis  baths,  and  lies  at  an 
elevation  of  1,260  feet  in  the 
Reuchthal,  surrounded  by  pine- 
clad  mountains.  It  has  seven 
chalybeate  springs.  One  of  the 
strongest  is  the  Friedrichsquelle, 
which  contains  0-058  bicarbonate 
of  iron  per  litre  and  0-013  °f  chlo- 
ride of  lithium.  It  also  has  a  Lithi- 
onquelle,  containing  more  lithium 
(0-017  Per  litre) ;  it  has,  in  ad- 
dition, a  spring  smelling  of  H^S, 
and  termed  the  Schwefelquelle. 
They  all  contain  a  considerable 
amount  of  calcium  bicarbonate. 
The  waters  are  drunk  and  used 
for  baths.  Mud  baths  and  natural 
carbonic  acid  baths  are  also  given. 
The  usual  maladies  treated  at 
chalybeate  baths  are  treated  there  : 
anaemia,  neurasthenia,  female 
complaints,  and  those  suitable 
to  treatment  by  alkaline  earthy 
waters,  and  which  need  also  tonic 
remedies,  as  renal  and  vesical  dis- 
orders, gout,  etc. 

The  season  is  from  May  i  to 
Oct.  15. 

Friedrichshall,  in  Saxe-Meining- 
en,  has  a  ' '  bitter  water  ' '  used  only 
for  exportation,  contains  much 


sodium  chloride  (24  grammes  per 
litre)  and  magnesium  chloride 
(i2'o)  as  well  as  sodium  sulphate 
(18-0). 

Fuered,  a  distant  Hungarian 
spa,  having  considerable  local 
popularity,  finely  situated  on  the 
Flatten  -  See,  and  reached  by 
steamer  in  an  hour  from  the  rail- 
way station  Sio-Fok. 

Its  waters  are  feebly  mineral- 
ised and  difficult  of  classification. 
The  chief  drinking  well  is  highly 
gaseous  —  the  Franz  -  Josephs  - 
quelle  —  and  contains  calcium 
(0-8  per  litre)  and  sodium  (o'li), 
carbonate  and  sodium  sulphate 
(0-8),  and  bicarbonate  of  iron 
(o-oi),  as  well  as  a  large  amount 
of  carbonic  acid  gas.  The  lake 
water  and  mud  are  also  used  for 
baths. 

The  season  is  from  May  15  to 
Sept.  15. 

Fuscherbad,  or  St.  Wolfgang's 
Bad,  in  Styria,  at  an  altitude  of 
over  4,000  feet,  has  very  feebly 
mineralised  springs,  and  is  rather 
a  climatic  station.  It  is  finely 
situated  in  the  Fuscherthal,  two 
hours  distant  from  Bruck  railway 
station.  Gastein  patients  are 
sometimes  sent  there  for  an  after- 
cure. 


Gastein  or  Wildbad-Gastein,  to  distinguish  it 
from  Hof-Gastein,  from  which  it  is  distant  four  or 
five  miles,  is  situated  in  Austria  in  the  duchy  of 
Salzburg,  and  possesses  simple  thermal  springs.  It 
is  usually  approached  from  Innsbruck  or  Salzburg. 
The  nearest  railway  station  is  Lend-Gastein,  four 
hours  from  Innsbruck.  A  drive  of  fifteen  miles 
almost  due  south  from  Lend,  through  the  Gastein 
valley,  brings  you  to  Wildbad-Gastein,  passing 
through  Hof-Gastein  (four  or  five  miles  nearer  Lend) 
on  the  way.  Wildbad-Gastein,  at  the  southern 


SECT.  B.]  WILDBAD—GASTEIN:  193 

extremity  of  the  valley,  has  an  elevation  of  3,310 
feet.  Hof-Gastein  is  lower,  only  2,755  feet. 

Wildbad-Gastein  is  in  a  beautiful  situation,  and 
many  fine  walks,  drives,  and  mountain  excursions  can 
be  made  from  it ;  but  the  latter  are  not  likely  to  be 
attempted  by  the  class  of  patients  that  are  sent  there. 
It  is  singular  in  being  built  to  a  certain  extent  over 
and  around  a  waterfall — two  fine  cascades  of  the  river 
Ache  plunging  down  and  roaring  through  the  village. 
It  has  a  sub-alpine  climate,  such  as  it  is  usual  to 
find  at  that  elevation.  It  enjoys  some  protection 
from  winds  by  the  mountains  around,  especially 
from  the  north  winds.  But  it  has  a  considerable 
amount  of  atmospheric  humidity  and  a  large  rainfall. 

It  is  calculated  that  there  are  on  an  average  sixty 
rainy  days  in  the  three  summer  months.  But  the 
rain  often  falls  in  sudden  torrents  with  intervals  of 
sunshine.  August  is  usually  the  dryest  and  the 
hottest  month,  the  average  temperature  being  60°  F. 
Rapid  and  considerable  variations  of  temperature  are 
not  uncommon. 

There  are  numerous  thermal  springs  at  Gastein, 
varying  in  temperature  from  about  80°  to  120°  F. 
The  baths  are  generally  given  of  a  temperature  of 
about  95°  F.,  and  the  hotter  springs  are  allowed  to 
cool  in  reservoirs  until  they  reach  the  temperature 
desired. 

The  thermal  waters  are  supplied  to  the  various 
hotels  and  lodging-houses,  so  that  the  patients  are 
able  to  take  their  baths  where  they  reside,  a  great 
convenience,  especially  to  the  many  sufferers  from 
diseases  of  the  nervous  system  who  flock  to  Gastein. 
These  waters  are  also  conveyed  to  Hof-Gastein  in 
wooden  pipes.  The  meals  at  Gastein  are  usually 
taken  at  restaurants  a  la  carte  and  not  at  tables 
d'hote,  which  is  a  decided  advantage  for  invalids, 
and  enables  them  to  follow  a  diet  suitable  to  their 
condition. 

The  water  of  these  hot  springs  is  very  feebly 
mineralised,  and  contains  only  0*3  of  solids  per  litre, 
H 


c>4  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I. 

consisting  of  minute  amounts  of  sodium  sulphate 
and  chloride  and  silica.  There  is  nothing  what- 
ever in  the  composition  of  the  water  to  account  for 
any  therapeutic  results  obtained  by  bathing  in  it— 
these  have  been  referred  to  some  mysterious  hypo- 
thetical electrical  condition  of  the  waters.  But  the 
curative  effects  of  the  treatment  at  Gastein  must 
probably  be  referred  to  the  tonic  and  soothing 
effect  of  the  climate  and  the  influence  of  regular 
bathing  in  thermal  water  for  half  an  hour  or  so 
daily.  It  is  doubtless  quite  as  much  an  air  cure 
as  a  water  cure. 

There  is  exceedingly  little  drinking  of  the  waters 
at  Gastein,  the  physicians  there  trusting  almost 
wholly  to  the  baths  ;  but  the  aid  of  massage  and 
electrical  treatment  is  constantly  called  in  to  supple- 
ment the  thermal  baths. 

In  considering  the  cases  suitable  to  treatment 
at  Gastein,  it  is  well  to  remember  that  it  has  been 
termed  an  "  old  man's  bath  " — a  resort  for  those 
who  desire  to  retard  the  approach  of  senility.  The 
baths  have  been  described  as  "  tonic  and  strengthen- 
ing, giving  new  life  to  the  organism  ;  after  a  few 
baths  a  condition  of  nervous  stimulation  is  produced, 
and  the  patient  recovers  his  forces  and  his  intellectual 
powers."  It  is  certain  that  Gastein  attracts  great 
numbers  of  distinguished  men,  especially  statesmen, 
politicians,  and  literati,  who  appear  to  be  satisfied 
with  the  benefit  it  confers. 

The  chief  speciality  of  Gastein  is  certainly  the 
treatment  of  affections  of  the  nervous  system,  func- 
tional and  organic,  as  tabes  dorsalis,  paraplegias, 
hemiplegic  contractions,  and  various  forms  of  partial 
and  peripheral  paralysis,  neuralgias,  hysteria,  and 
hypochondriasis,  neurasthenia  and  overwork,  in- 
somnia, the  loss  of  power  associated  with  senility, 
impotence. 

Other  maladies  are  sent  to  Gastein,  just  as  they 
are  sent  to  similar  thermal  baths,  such  as  cases  ot 
chronic  gout  and  rheumatism  and  chronic  affections 


SECT.  B.]  GLEICHENBERG.  195 

of  the  female  pelvic  organs,  especially  when  occurring 
in  the  neurotic. 

The  climate  is  well  adapted  to  convalescents 
from  serious  disease  and  as  an  after- cure,  after  a 
course  of  such  active  waters  as  those  of  Carlsbad 
or  Marienbad.  Owing  to  its  distance  from  England, 
other  nationalities  are  more  largely  represented  at 
Gastein  than  our  own. 

The  season  is  from  May  to  September,  but  July 
and  August  are  the  best  months.  The  place  is  so 
crowded  in  the  height  of  the  season  that  it  is 
necessary  for  visitors  requiring  comfortable  quarters 
to  engage  them  some  weeks  in  advance  of  their 
visit. 

Gleichenberg,  in  Styria,  has  cold  gaseous  alkaline 
and  common  salt  waters  belonging  to  the  same  class 
as  those  of  Ems  and  Royat.  An  important  and 
efficacious  group  of  mineral  springs.  It  is  situated 
at  an  elevation,  nearly  1,000  feet  above  the  sea,  in  a 
pleasant  and  picturesque  country,  about  three  hours 
from  Graz  and  an  hour  and  a-quarter  from  Feldbach 
railway  stations.  The  two  principal  springs  are 
the  Constantinquelle  and  the  Emmaquelle.  The 
former  contains  3*6  grammes  of  sodium  bicarbonate 
and  i '8  of  sodium  chloride  per  litre,  and  as  much  as 
1*340  volumes  of  carbonic  acid  gas.  The  Emma- 
quelle is  less  gaseous.  There  is  also  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood a  weak  gaseous  chalybeate  spring,  the 
Klausenquelle,  and  an  alkaline  chalybeate,  the 
Johannisbrunnen,  both  of  which  can  be  utilised  in 
anaemic  cases  requiring  iron.  Gleichenberg  is  a  place 
of  considerable  local  repute  and  resort,  both  for  its 
pleasant  mild  climate  and  its  waters,  which  are 
found  very  beneficial  in  cases  of  catarrh  of  the 
respiratory  organs  and  certain  forms  of  dyspepsia. 
The  water  is  pulverised  for  inhalation,  and  also 
drunk.  The  processes  of  hydrotherapy,  too,  are 
applied. 

The  season  is  from  May  to  September. 


196  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I. 

Gurnigelbad,  a  cold  sulphur  bath  in  Canton 
Berne,  Switzerland,  at  an  elevation  of  3,783  feet 
above  the  sea.  It  is  connected  with  Berne  and 
Thun  by  a  good  carriage  road,  and  is  a  drive  of  four 
to  five  hours  from  either  town.  A  very  fine  bath 
establishment  (with  hotel)  exists  there  in  a  command- 
ing situation  with  very  beautiful  mountain  views,  and 
with  spacious  pine  forests,  affording  charming 
sheltered  and  shady  walks,  immediately  surrounding 
it.  Many  interesting  excursions  of  varying  distance 
can  also  be  enjoyed. 

The  climate  is  bright  and  bracing  with  a  rather 
high  degree  of  humidity,  due  to  the  great  extent  of 
pine  forest  surrounding  the  place.  These  forests 
afford  a  protection  from  the  north  and  north-west 
winds.  Considerable  variations  of  temperature  must 
be  expected  even  in  summer. 

Of  its  two  springs,  the  Schwarzbrunnli  is  the 
stronger;  it  is  rich  in  free  sulphuretted  hydrogen 
and  free  carbonic  acid,  and  contains  calcium  sulphate 
1*7,  calcium  and  magnesium  sulphide  0*0057  Per  litre, 
and  minute  quantities  of  other  mineral  substances  of 
no  special  importance.  The  Stockquelle  contains 
rather  more  calcium  sulphate  but  much  less 
sulphuretted  hydrogen  and  no  sulphides.  An  iron 
spring  also  exists  in  the  forest,  ten  minutes  dis- 
tance from  the  baths. 

These  waters  are  administered  internally  and  as 
baths  and  douches,  and  the  most  modern  arrange- 
ments are  provided  for  inhalations,  sprays,  and  nasal 
irrigations.  Hydropathy,  electro-therapeutics,  elec- 
tric baths,  massage,  and  milk  and  whey  and  diet 
cures  are  also  available.  These  in  conjunction  with 
mountain  and  forest  air  are  the  remedial  measures 
to  be  obtained  at  Gurnigel. 

The  sulphur  water  is  said  to  be  easily  digested  on 
account  of  the  amount  of  carbonic  acid  in  it. 

The  maladies  especially  suitable  for  treatment 
there  are  in  the  first  place  chronic  gastric  and  in- 
testinal disorders,  catarrh,  gastralgia,  gastric  dilatation 


SECT;    B.] 


GURNIGEL. 


197 


and  nervous  dyspepsia  (modern  gastric  methods  of 
exploration  and  mechanical  and  electrical  treatment 
are  practised),  chronic  diarrhoea,  constipation, 
haemorrhoids,  intestinal  parasites — especially  the  tape 
worms  and  ascarides — functional  hepatic  disorders, 
congestion,  catarrhal  jaundice,  biliary  colic,  catarrhal 
diseases  of  the  nose,  pharynx,  larynx,  and  bronchi 
as  at  other  sulphur  spas,  malarial  cachexia,  diseases 
of  the  female  pelvic  organs,  certain  skin  affections, 
eczema,  acne,  furunculi,  varicose  veins,  etc. 
The  season  is  from  June  to  September. 


Gander sheim,  on  the  Gande,  in 
the  Duchy  of  Brunswick,  with  a 
station  on  the  Magdeburg*- Holtz- 
minden  Railway,  has  common 
salt  springs,  which  are  used  in  the 
treatment  of  rheumatism,  gout, 
female  affections,  scrofula,  etc. 

Season,  May  to  end  of  Sep- 
tember. 

Giesshuebl-Puchstein,  in  the 
valley  of  the  Eger,  Bohemia, 
about  six  miles  from  Carlsbad, 
has  a  bath  establishment  and  a 
pleasant  gaseous  spring,  which  is 
largely  exported  as  a  table  water. 

Gilsland  Spa.  Cumberland,  in  a 
pleasant  situation  on  the  river 
Irthing,  about  twenty  miles  from 
Carlisle,  possesses  both  chaly- 
beate and  cold  sulphur  springs. 

Gmunden,  in  the  Salzkam- 
mergut,  Austria,  lies,  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  1,370  feet,  on  the  Traun- 
See,  and  has  a  station  on  the 
railway  between  Altnung  and 
Ischl ;  it  has  a  common  salt  bath 
prepared  with  brine  from  the 
Ebensee  salt  works,  the  strength 
of  which  is  about  240  grammes 
per  litre.  Apparatus  for  artificial 
aerotherapy  is  also  available. 

Goczal  Kowitz,  in  Upper  Silesia, 
with  a  station  on  the  Kattowitz- 
Dzieditz  Railway,  possesses  a  cold 
common  salt  well,  which  is  used 


in  the  treatment  of  such  cases  as 
are  usually  sent  to  such  spas. 

Season,  May  15  to  Sept.  15. 

Godesberg,  a  Rhenish  resort 
with  a  station  on  the  Cologne- 
Bingerbruck  line,  in  a  picturesque 
situation,  has  alkaline  -  saline  - 
chalybeate  springs. 

The  Stahlbrunnen  contams 
sodium  bicarbonate  (1*4),  sodium 
chloride  (i'o),  and  bicarbonate  of 
iron  (0-029).  Another  spring, 
containing  more  iron,  is  only  used 
for  baths.  Hydropathic  treat- 
ment is  also  carried  out  there. 
The  cases  treated  are  those  of 
anaemia,  neurasthenia,  and  female 
complaints. 

The  season  is  from  May  i  to 
Sept.  30. 

Gonten,  in  Canton  Appenzell, 
Switzerland,  at  an  elevation  of 
2,900  feet,  has  cold  chalybeate 
springs,  having  0-043  of  carbonate 
of  iron  per  litre.  It  has  a  station 
on  the  Winkeln-Appenzell  line. 
The  water  is  more  used  for  baths 
than  for  drinking.  The  climate  is 
cool  and  the  air  tonic  and  pure. 
It  is  also  a  station  for  the  milk 
and  whey  cures. 

Season,  June  to  middle  of  Sep- 
tember. 

Goppingen,  in  Wiirtemberg,  has 
a  cold  gaseous  (carbonic  acid) 


198 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


spring,  with  a  small  bathing  es- 
tablishment, but  it  is  chiefly  used 
for  exportation  as  a  table  water. 

Gottleuba,  in  the  kingdom  of 
Saxony  on  the  Gottleuba,  has  a 
cold  chalybeate  spring.  The  rail- 
way station  is  Berggiesshiibel  on 
the  Berggiesshubel  and  Pirna 
Railway.  Mud  baths  and  arti- 
ficial carbonic  acid  baths  are  also 
prepared,  Cases  of  chlorosis, 
anaemia  and  retarded  convales- 
cence are  treated. 

Season,  from  May  i  to  end.  of 
September. 

Gran,  a  Hungarian  spa  possess- 
ing thermal  earthy  springs  of  a 
temperature  83-85°  F.,  and  also  a 
strong  ' '  bitter  water  ' '  containing 
45  grammes  of  magnesium  sul- 
phate per  litre. 

Greifswald,  a  common  salt  bath 
on  the  Ryck,  in  the  province  of 
Pomerania.  As  it  is  a  university 
town  the  baths  are  used  in  con- 
nection with  the  hospital  and 
private  cliniques. 

Open  all  the  year. 

Grenzach,  four  miles  from  Bale, 
on  the  Bale-Constance  line,  has 
a  cold  sodium  sulphate  (3-2  grammes 
per  litre)  and  chloride  (1-9) 
water,  containing  also  smaller 
amounts  of  calcium  sulphate 
and  bicarbonate.  It  is  used 
chiefly  for  drinking.  Artificial 
salt  baths  are  also  prepared. 
It  is  a  small  bath  chiefly  used  for 
cases  of  gastric,  hepatic,  and  renal 
disorders,  gallstones,  and  obesity. 

Season,  April  to  October. 

Greoulx,  France,  Basses  Alpes, 
a  thermal  sulphur  bath,  at  an 
altitude  of  1,140  feet,  situated  in 


a  picturesque  valley,  about  one 
hour  and  a-half's  drive  from  the 
station  of  Mirabeau  on  the  line 
between  Grenoble  and  Marseilles. 
It  has  two  springs,  the  hottest  of 
which  has  a  temperature  of 
102°  F.  ;  it  contains  1-50  grammes 
of  common  salt  per  litre  as  well 
as  free  H.2S  (4  c.c.)  and  much 
baregine — a  valuable  combination 
which  would  probably  be  more 
highly  esteemed  if  this  bath  were 
not  in  so  out-of-the-way  a  situa- 
tion. The  springs  are  used  for 
drinking  and  for  baths  (swimming 
and  ordinary),  douches,  and  in- 
halations. The  cases  treated  there 
are  those  of  rheumatism,  scro- 
fulous, glandular  and  cutaneous 
affections,  catarrhs  of  the  pha- 
rynx, la*rynx,  and  bronchi ;  trau- 
matisms,  slowly  healing  wounds 
and  ulcers,  uterine  affections. 

The  season  is  from  April  15  to 
Oct.  15. 

Griesbach,  in  the  Baden  Black 
Forest,  one  of  the  Kniebis  baths, 
1,850  feet  above  the  sea,  about 
seven  miles  from  the  railway 
station  Oppenau,  Appenweir-Op- 
penau  line,  has  several  cold 
gaseous  chalybeate  springs,  of 
which  the  chief  is  the  Antonius- 
quelle  ;  it  contains  bicarbonate  of 
iron  (0-07),  bicarbonate  of  calcium 
(i-6),  and  sulphate  of  sodium 
(0-7).  This  and  other  springs  are 
used  for  drinking  and  for  baths. 
Mud  baths  and  several  kinds  of 
pine  baths  are  prepared.  Cases 
of  anaemia,  chlorosis,  and  female 
complaints  are  treated  there. 

The  season  is  from  May  15  to 
Oct.  i. 


Hammam  R'Xrha,  in  Algiers,  has  thermal  earthy 
calcareous  waters  used  for  baths,  and  a  very  weak 
cold  gaseous  earthy  chalybeate  spring,  which  is 
drunk  there  often  as  a  table  water. 

It  is  also   a  winter  climate   resort,  and  will  be 


SECT.  B.]  HAM  MAM    R'IRHA.  199 

noticed  in  the  second  part  of  this  work  dealing  with 
the  subject  of  climate. 

The  hot  springs  are  of  a  temperature  of  about 
110°  F.  in  the  baths — they  are  large  swimming 
baths.  This  is  a  high  temperature  for  such  baths, 
and  they  may  feel  at  first  uncomfortably  hot,  but 
the  body  soon  becomes  accustomed  to  the  heat,  and 
the  sensation  is  said  to  become  very  agreeable.  The 
Arabs  drink  the  hot  water  while  in  the  bath,  which 
promotes  free  perspiration.  The  mineralisation  of 
the  water  has  probably  little  to  do  with  its  thera- 
peutic effects.  Its  chief  constituents  are  calcium  sul- 
phate and  carbonate,  forming  together  1*510  of  a  total 
amount  of  solids  of  2*330  per  litre.  It  contains  also 
a  small  amount  of  sodium  chloride  (0*439)  and  minute 
quantities  of  other  salts.  It  much  resembles  the  Bath 
waters  and  proves  beneficial  in  the  same  cases,  viz. 
chronic  rheumatism  (especially)  and  gout ;  some  trau- 
matic cases,  as  painful  cicatrices ;  neuralgias,  especially 
when  of  rheumatic  origin  ;  certain  forms  of  paralysis, 
cases  of  vesical  catarrh  in  the  gouty,  and  some 
chronic  affections  of  the  pelvic  viscera. 

The  climate  is  also  suitable  to  cases  of  chronic 
bronchial  catarrh. 

The  weak  gaseous  earthy  chalybeate  spring  is 
used  to  mix  with  wine  as  a  table  water,  and  is  also 
recommended  to  be  drunk  in  cases  of  anaemia  and 
chlorosis  and  in  cases  of  malarial  cachexia.  It  only 
contains  0*010  of  bicarbonate  of  iron  per  litre.  Its 
other  constituents  are  mainly  earthy  sulphates  and 
carbonates,  and  it  is  rich  in  carbonic  acid  gas,  which 
makes  it  an  agreeable  drink. 

There  is  a  military  hospital  at  Hammam  RTrha, 
and  the  results  of  treatment  there  show  that  cases  of 
general  chronic  rheumatism  are  benefited  in  the 
proportion  of  about  80  per  cent. ;  next  in  order  are 
traumatic  joint  affections,  then  articular  rheumatism, 
and  the  least  benefited  are  joint  affections  referable 
to  gout. 

The  warm,  dry,  and  sunny  climate  has  no  doubt 


200  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PA-RT  i. 

a  great  share  in  the  production  of  the  beneficial 
results  observed. 

Hammam  R'Irha  is  about  sixty  miles  west-south- 
west of  Algiers,  and  is  reached  partly  by  rail — to  Bon 
Medfa  in  three  to  four  hours — and  then  a  drive  of 
eight  miles  to  the  baths. 

The  hotel  and  bath  establishment  are  very  com- 
fortable. 

Harrogate,  in  Yorkshire,  about  six  hours  from 
London,  has  long  been  celebrated  for  its  sulphur 
springs,  of  which  a  great  number  arise  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood. There  are  said  to  be  as  many  as  80 
different  mineral  springs.  They  are  all  cold,  and 
vary  considerably  in  their  strength.  Most  of  them 
contain  sodium  sulphide  and  free  sulphuretted 
hydrogen,  as  well  as  considerable  but  varying  pro- 
portions of  common  salt. 

The  most  popular  of  these,  and  the  one  generally 
used  for  drinking,  is  known  as  the  "old  sulphur 
spring"  in  the  Royal  Pump  Room,  and  has  about 
0*07  of  sodium  sulphide  and  37  volumes  of  H2S  per 
litre.  It  has  also  sodium  chloride  (127),  and  barium 
chloride  (0*09).  It  has  been  suggested  that  the 
barium  salt  acts  as  a  heart  tonic,  and  corrects 
any  depressing  effect  that  the  sulphur  may  tend 
to  produce.  But  this  is  only  a  hypothesis. 

Some  of  the  sulphur  springs  are  very  strong 
—the  Montpellier  is  estimated  to  contain  0*2  per 
litre  of  sodium  sulphide,  but  has  no  H,S — and  others 
are  very  weak,  as  the  Starbeck  wells,  and  these 
are  used  chiefly  for  baths ;  while  others  are  of  inter- 
mediate strength ;  so  that  the  waters  present  a  sort  of 
natural  graduation  adapted  to  the  requirements  of 
various  cases.  The  strongest  sulphur  springs  at 
Harrogate  contain,  as  has  been  seen,  a  large  pro- 
portion of  common  salt.  Harrogate  is  also  renowned 
for  its  chalybeate  springs  ;  these  contain  iron  as  well 
as  sodium  chloride.  One  of  these,  the  celebrated 
"  Kissingen  well,"  contains  0*13  of  carbonate  of 


SECT.  B.]  HARROGATE  201 

iron,  1 0*0  or  sodium  chloride,  and  1*2  calcium 
chloride  per  litre.  Another,  the  "chloride  of  iron 
well,"  contains  chloride  of  iron  0*19,  carbonate  of 
iron  0*16,  chloride  of  sodium  2*5,  and  chloride  of 
barium  0*07  per  litre. 

Yet  another  iron  water  conies  from  the  so-called 
"alum  well"  in  the  "bog-field."  This  is  remark- 
able as  containing  ferrous  sulphate  and  ferric  sul- 
phate, aluminium,  calcium,  and  magnesium  sulphate, 
about  ro  per  litre  each.  One  of  the  milder  chaly- 
beate springs  is  artificially  charged  with  carbonic 
acid,  which  not  only  makes  it  much  more  agree- 
able and  refreshing  to  drink,  but  probably  easier 
to  digest. 

Taken  in  large  quantities  these  waters  are  purga- 
tive, like  the  common  salt  waters  of  Homburg  and 
Kissingen,  and  in  smaller  quantities  they  are  said 
to  be  alterative.  Their  use  as  aperients  is  not,  as 
a  rule,  attended  by  any  debilitating  effect. 

The  chalybeate  waters,  when  they  are  easily 
digested,  are  of  service  in  anaemic  cases,  but  they 
are  not  so  digestible  as  those  Continental  chalybeate 
springs  that  are  rich  in  free  carbonic  acid,  the  presence 
of  which,  in  an  iron  water,  seems  to  greatly  favour 
its  digestion  and  assimilation. 

It  has  been  said  that  it  is  an  advantage,  in  some 
cases,  to  administer  the  sulphur  waters,  before  giving 
the  chalybeate  springs,  for  the  purpose  of  stimulating 
the  excretory  organs — liver,  kidneys,  and  skin — thus 
getting  rid  of  waste  material,  and  so  preparing  the 
way  for  the  absorption  and  assimilation  of  the  iron. 
The  stimulating  influence  on  tissue  changes  of  the 
sodium  chloride  in  these  waters  is  no  doubt  bene- 
ficial in  many  cases  ;  in  the  debilitated  and  anaemic 
with  "  sluggish  livers."  It  is  also  useful  in  the 
gouty  bronchitic.  Some  of  the  waters  are  warmed 
before  drinking  by  a  special  contrivance  called  the 
"  Therma." 

Treatment  at  H arrogate  is  recommended  for  the 
cure  of  chronic  dyspepsias,  constipation,  congestion 


202  MINERAL    SPRINGS .  [PART  i. 

of  the  liver,  and  all  functional  hepatic  disorders,  also 
in  conditions  of  abdominal  plethora,  and  obesity,  in 
short,  in  the  same  cases  as  the  waters  of  Homburg 
and  Kissingen.  They  are  given  internally  and  in 
the  form  of  baths  in  cases  of  chronic  gout  and  rheu- 
matism. In  certain  forms  of  skin  disease  they  lay 
claim  to  peculiar  efficacy,  as  in  chronic  eczema,  in 
psoriasis,  lichen,  acne,  and  troublesome  syphilitic 
eruptions.  (In  constitutional  syphilis  the  methods 
employed  at  Aix  la  Chapelle  can  be  resorted  to.) 

These  waters  are  also  useful  in  the  treatment 
of  lead  and  mercurial  poisoning,  and  the  malarial 
cachexia.  The  chalybeate  springs,  besides  being 
administered  in  cases  of  anemia  and  chlorosis, 
and  retarded  convalescence,  are  found  of  much  use  in 
functional  uterine  disorders,  when  taken  in  asso- 
ciation with  the  baths.  They  are  prescribed  also 
in  scrofulous  affections,  and  in  chronic  rheumatoid 
arthritis. 

Unlike  the  physicians  at  Continental  spas,  those 
at  Harrogate  do  not  hesitate  to  employ  other 
medicinal  remedies  as  aids  to  the  mineral  treatment, 
and  the  free  use  of  small  doses  of  calomel  is  not 
uncommon  with  some  of  them. 

The  arrangements  for  drinking  and  bathing  at 
Harrogate  are  good  and  complete,  and  the  fine 
bracing  air  of  the  surrounding  country  no  doubt 
contributes,  in  great  measure,  to  the  good  effects 
obtained  from  treatment  there. 

Harrogate  is  in  an  open  country,  at  an 
elevation  of  260  to  600  feet  above  the  sea. 
Upper  Harrogate  has  a  more  bracing  climate 
than  the  lower  part  of  the  town.  There  is  a 
fine  open  common,  the  Stray,  200  acres  in  extent, 
around  which  the  hotels  and  residences  are 
built.  The  air  at  Harrogate  is  said  to  be 
very  dry,  owing  to  the  absence  of  woods  and  of 
large  river  beds  or  lakes,  and  to  the  absorbent 
nature  of  the  soil.  "  There  are  fewer  rainy  days 
than  at  most  of  the  other  English  health  resorts." 


SECT.  B.]  HELOUAN    LES    BAINS:  203 

Phthisis  is  rare  amongst  the   natives,  but  they  are 
apt  to  suffer  from  rheumatism. 

The  New  Montpellier  Baths  is  a  very  fine  build- 
ing, and  is  furnished  with  every  appliance  which 
modern  science  has  sanctioned  in  the  application 
of  mineral  springs ;  baths  and  douches  of  all  kinds 
(the  Aix  douche  massage),  electric  light  baths,  etc. 

Helouan  les  Bains,  in  Egypt,  sixteen  miles  due 
south  of  Cairo,  possesses  thermal  sulphur  and  salt 
waters,  as  well  as  a  weak  common  salt  spring  con- 
taining iron,  and  another  without  iron.  The  thermal 
sulphur  springs  have  a  temperature  of  90°  F.  at 
the  source,  and  they  contain  60  c.c.  of  sulphuretted 
hydrogen  per  litre,  also  5*069  of  common  salt,  0*507 
of  magnesium  sulphate,  some  calcium  carbonate 
and  sulphate,  and  a  little  potassium  chloride.  A 
water  containing  sulphur  and  salt  like  the  Harrogate 
springs. 

It  has  also  a  water  which  is  termed  "  saline 
chalybeate,"  but  the  iron  in  it  has  been  estimated, 
together  with  alumina,  as  0*015  per  litre  ;  how  much 
iron  there  is,  apart  from  the  alumina,  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  ascertained.  We  may  assume 
that  it  is  very  weak  iron  water,  but  it  also  contains 
4*705  of  common  salt  per  litre,  and  calcium  car- 
bonate and  sulphate,  together  amounting  to  1*249, 
and  magnesium  sulphate  0*36 1. 

The  New  Bath  establishment  is  very  complete 
and  is  furnished  with  all  the  necessary  requirements 
to  make  it  equal  to  any  European  establishment  of 
the  kind.  It  contains  immersion  baths,  combination 
baths,  with  needle  baths,  douches,  and  sprays 
of  all  kinds.  Hot  air  and  vapour  baths,  Aix  mas- 
sage, electric  baths,  inhalations,  pulverisations,  etc. 
A  large  swimming  sulphur  bath,  with  running  water, 
adjoins  the  bath  establishment.  In  addition  to  the 
baths,  the  dry,  warm,  sunny  desert  climate  must 
be  a  very  important  therapeutic  factor.  The  waters 
are  used  internally  as  well  as  externally,  and  have 


204  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

been  found  beneficial  in  the  following  maladies — 
dyspepsia,  functional  hepatic  disorders,  gout,  lith- 
aemia,  and  allied  maladies,  pharyngeal,  laryngeal, 
and  bronchial  catarrh  (aided  greatly  by  the  climate), 
certain  affections  of  the  female  pelvic  organs.  Cases 
of  sciatica  and  rheumatism,  muscular  and  articular, 
cases  of  rheumatoid  arthritis,  are  said  to  manifestly 
improve.  Also  cases  of  chronic  skin  disease,  cases  of 
overwork  and  neurasthenia.  It  must  be  difficult 
to  apportion  between  the  climate  and  the  baths 
the  precise  amount  of  benefit  derived. 

The  climatic  characters  and  advantages  of  Helouan 
will  be  referred  to  in  the  second  part  of  this  work. 
Trains  run  from  Cairo  to  Helouan  hourly,  in  twenty- 
five  to  forty-five  minutes.  The  best  season  for 
Europeans  is  from  the  beginning  of  November  to 
the  end  of  April.* 

Heustrich,  a  cold  alkaline  sulphur  bath  situated 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  Lake  of  Thun  in  Switzerland, 
is  an  important  station  for  the  treatment  of  catarrhal 
affections  of  the  air  passages  and  of  the  stomach,  and 
merits  to  be  better  known  in  England.  It  is  best 
reached  from  Spiez,  a  well-known  steamboat  station 
on  the  Lake  of  Thun,  from  which  Heustrich  is 
distant  about  five  miles,  or  it  is  about  an  hour  and 
a-half's  drive  from  the  railway  station  of  Thun.  It  is 
picturesquely  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  Niesen,  on  its 
eastern  flank,  at  an  elevation  of  about  2,200  feet,  on 
the  left  bank  of  the  Kander.  It  is  close  to  the  finest 
mountain  scenery  of  the  Bernese  Oberland,  and  is 
immediately  surrounded  by  a  well-wooded  and 
cultivated  district.  It  has  a  sub-alpine  climate,  the 
air  being  fresh  and  mildly  tonic,  but  hot  in  the  mid- 
day in  the  summer.  It  is  protected  entirely  from  the 
winds  coming  from  north  and  south,  and  as  the  baths 
are  built  away  from  the  high  road,  it  is  very  free 

*  "Helouan:  Its  Climate,  Waters,  and  Recent   Improve- 
ments," by  Dr.  W.  Page  May. 


SECT.  B.]  HEUSTRICH:  205 

from  dust.  The  air  has  a  somewhat  high  degree  of 
humidity,  which  the  resident  physician  considers  an 
advantage  in  the  treatment  of  those  suffering  from 
catarrhal  affections  of  the  air  passages,  and  these 
probably  form  the  majority  of  the  patients  at  this 
bath.  It  has  a  mild  climate  for  a  place  of  that 
altitude.  Patients  are,  however,  warned  that  they 
must  come  prepared  for  occasional  sudden  depres- 
sions of  temperature,  such  as  are  common  in  all 
mountain  stations  like  Heustrich. 

There  is  a  single  spring  which  yields  only  a  very 
moderate  amount  of  water,  about  if  litres  per 
minute  at  a  temperature  of  43°  F.  It  has  a  strong 
smell  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  and  on  exposure  to 
the  air  it  becomes  cloudy  from  the  deposit  of 
sulphur. 

It  contains  about  n  c.c.  of  H2S  per  litre,  which 
ranks  it  amongst  the  moderately  strong  sulphur 
waters — about  one-third  the  strength  of  the  Allevard 
water.  But  it  has  a  great  advantage  over  most 
cold  sulphur  waters  in  the  absence  of  earthy  salts 
and  the  presence  of  sodium  salts.  It  is  remarkable 
in  containing  no  calcium  sulphate,  but  as  much  as 
0*67 1  per  litre  of  sodium  bicarbonate  and  0*20  of 
sodium  sulphate. 

Much  of  the  therapeutic  action  of  this  water  is 
referred  to  its  alkalinity-  -due  to  the  presence  of  so 
much  sodium  bicarbonate — its  stimulating  effect  on 
the  appetite,  and  its  notable  diuretic  action.  It 
exerts  a  solvent  effect  on  the  urates  and  oxalates, 
and  is  therefore  beneficial  in  vesical  catarrh  in  the 
gouty.  Its  solvent  action  also  renders  this  water 
useful  in  the  treatment  of  chronic  catarrh  of  the 
stomach  and  the  respiratory  organs.  In  the  latter, 
expectoration  is  facilitated  and  cough  relieved. 

The  utility  of  the  bath  in  the  cure  of  boils,  of 
pityriasis  versicolor,  of  varicose  ulcers  and  other  skin 
affections  is  probably  largely  due  to  the  influence  of 
the  alkaline  waters  on  the  skin  secretions  ;  and  the 
good  effect  of  the  baths  in  rheumatic  cases  is  referred 


206  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

rather  to  the  influence  of  the  warmth  of  the  bath 
than  to  its  mineral  constituents.* 

Inhalation  of  the  pulverised  water  is  practised  at 
Heustrich  in  the  treatment  of  catarrhal  affections  of 
the  respiratory  organs,  as  it  is  at  Ems  and  Allevard, 
the  pulverisation  being  effected  by  means  of  com- 
pressed air.  These  inhalations  are  especially  useful 
in  catarrhs  localised  in  the  trachea  and  large  bronchi. 
For  deeper-seated  affections  aspiration  of  compressed 
air  charged  with  vaporisable  substances  (pine  oil,  tar, 
turpentine)  are  used. 

A  pneumatic  cabinet  is  available  there  for  the 
treatment  of  cases  of  emphysema  with  chronic 
bronchitis. 

For  the  many  patients  sent  to  this  resort  whose 
cases  are  complicated  with  neurasthenia  the  methods 
of  hydrotherapy  are  available  and  prove  very  useful. 
Massage  and  electricity  are  also  employed.  Ex- 
cellent provision  is  made  for  taking  a  milk  cure. 

Certain  of  the  maladies  suitable  for  treatment  at 
Heustrich  have  already  been  indicated  in  a  general 
sense  :  they  may  now  be  briefly  enumerated  more 
particularly. 

i  st.  Catarrhs  of  the  respiratory  organs — chronic 
catarrhal  rhinitis — treated  by  irrigations  of  the  water 
at  a  temperature  of  95°  F. ;  and  for  this  purpose  a 
teaspoonful  of  sodium  chloride  is  added  to  each  litre 
of  the  water ;  ozsena,  or  foetid  rhinitis ;  chronic 
pharyngeal  catarrh  and  catarrh  of  the  Eustachian  * 
tube ;  chronic  laryngeal  catarrh,  treated  by  in- 
halations of  the  pulverised  water  and  its  internal  use ; 
bronchitis  and  emphysema  (in  addition  to  pneumo- 
therapy  the  internal  use  of  the  waters  is  necessary)  ; 
cases  of  asthma  dependent  on  nasal  trouble. 

2nd.  Phthisis  cases,  in  the  early  stages,  or  of  the 
torpid  form  without  fever,  are  benefited  by  the  various 
therapeutic  and  tonic  measures  that  'can  be  applied, 
including  the  use  of  the  water,  which  acts  beneficially 

*  D.  M.  Neukomm,  "  Les  Bains  de  Heustrich." 


SECT.  B.]  HOMBURG.  207 

on  the  catarrhal  symptoms.  Febrile  forms  must  not 
be  sent  there. 

3rd.  Dyspepsia  and  chronic  gastric  catarrh  ;  dila- 
tation of  the  stomach,  in  which  case  lavage  and 
irrigation  of  the  stomach  are  carried  out  as  well  as 
a  careful  regulation  of  diet ;  but  much  reliance  is 
placed  on  the  internal  use  of  the  water  in  these 
gastric  cases. 

4th.  Chronic  intestinal  catarrh,  disposition  to 
habitual  diarrhoea. 

5th.  Chronic  catarrh  of  the  female  sexual  organs  : 
irrigations  are  applied  in  the  bath. 

6th.  Chronic  vesical  catarrh,  in  cases  associated 
with  acid  urine  and  deposits  of  urates  or  oxalates. 

The  season  is  from  the  beginning  of  June  to  the 
end  of  September.  The  months  of  June  and  Septem- 
ber are  very  suitable  for  the  treatment,  and  far  less 
crowded  than  July  and  August.  A  vast  number  of 
interesting  walks  and  excursions  can  be  made  into 
the  attractive  country  around. 

Homburg,  or  Homburg  von  der  Hohe,  in  the 

province  of  Hesse-Nassau,  Germany,  is  one  of  the 
most  popular  resorts  in  Europe.  It  possesses  cold 
common  salt  springs  rich  in  carbonic  acid  gas,  and 
some  of  them  contain  iron,  and  these  may  be 
termed  gaseous  chalybeate  common  salt  springs. 

The  possession  of  springs  containing  common 
salt  is  scarcely  sufficient  to  account  for  the  extra- 
ordinary popularity  of  Homburg. 

But  almost  everything  that  art  could  do  has 
been  done  to  make  the  surroundings  of  the  springs 
attractive  ;  and  pleasant  shady  avenues  and  covered 
walks,  palm-houses,  and  parterres  of  flowers,  and 
other  attractions  give  to  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
mineral  springs  a  very  pleasing  aspect. 

There  can  be  no  manner  of  doubt  that  the 
attractiveness  and  the  popularity  of  Homburg  are 
quite  as  much  dependent  upon  social  considerations 
as  upon  medicinal  ones.  Something  must  be  said 


208  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i 

in  favour  of  the  climate  of  Homburg.  It  is  un- 
usually dry  and  bracing  for  a  place  of  such  moderate 
elevation — 650  feet  above  the  sea.  This  is  due  to 
the  absence  of  streams  and  rivers  and  to  the  ab- 
sorbent nature  of  the  soil,  and  to  the  position  of 
Homburg,  on  a  raised  portion  of  a  wide  plain,  the 
neighbouring  mountains  being  sufficiently  distant 
to  keep  the  mists  and  clouds  which  frequently  settle 
over  them  from  influencing  its  atmosphere. 

Owing  to  its  somewhat  exposed  situation  it 
suffers  from  the  heating  effect  of  the  direct  rays 
of  the  sun,  but,  as  a  compensation,  cooling  currents 
of  air  blow  down  from  the  distant  forest-clad  hills, 
and  the  mornings  and  evenings  are  fresh  and  ex- 
hilarating. There  is  a  very  general  consent  among 
those  who  have  frequented  the  place  for  many 
seasons  that  "  Homburg  is  bracing." 

Homburg  has  several  mineral  springs ;  the  chief 
of  these,  and  the  one  that  has  obtained  a  world- wide 
reputation,  is  the  Elisabethenbrunnen,  and  it  is 
around  this  source  that  the  gaily  dressed  crowd 
gathers  during  the  early  morning  hours,  from  six 
to  eight,  when  drinking  mineral  waters  is  presumed 
to  have  its  greatest  efficacy.  The  Ludwigbrunnen 
has  also  its  patrons,  but  it  has  an  afternoon  popularity 
rather  than  a  morning  one.  Then  there  are  the 
Kaiserbrunnen,  the  Luisenbrunnen,  and  the  Stahl- 
brunnen.  A  few  words  must  be  said  about  each 
of  these.  They  all  contain  much  carbonic  acid  gas, 
and  they  all  contain  salt,  common  salt,  but  in  very 
different  amounts.  The  Elisabeth  spring  contains 
about  10  grammes  to  the  litre,  the  Ludwig  about 
half,  the  Kaiser  two-thirds,  the  Luisen  about  one- 
third,  and  the  Stahl  about  half  (5  grammes)  that 
quantity.  Then  they  all,  in  addition  to  sodium 
chloride,  contain  small  quantities  of  calcium  and 
magnesium  and  other  chlorides,  and  bicarbonate  of 
iron,  in  varying  proportions  ;  the  Stahlbrunnen,  as 
its  name  implies,  contains  much  more  than  the 
others — 0*09  of  bicarbonate  of  iron  per  litre  and  ro 


SECT.  B]  HOMBURG.  209 

of  bicarbonate  of  lime,  which  is  also  found  in  the 
other  springs.  The  Luisen  is  the  next  strongest  in 
iron,  while  the  Ludwig  contains  scarcely  any.  Per- 
haps the  next  most  important  ingredient  in  these 
springs  is  carbonic  acid  gas.  Here,  again,  there  are 
considerable  differences.  The  Kaiser  contains  the 
most — one-third  as  much  again  as  the  Elisabeth  or 
the  Luisen,  and  the  Luisen  contains  the  least. 
The  presence  of  a  small  amount  of  sulphuretted 
hydrogen  in  the  Luisenbrunnen  and  Stahlbrunnen 
undoubtedly  detracts  from  their  pleasantness  as 
chalybeate  springs. 

Is  it  easy  to  determine  what  are  the  special  uses 
of  the  Homburg  springs  from  a  consideration  of  their 
composition  ?  It  would  seem  not ;  there  appears 
to  be  abundant  room  for  differences  of  opinion.  It 
is  easy  to  dispose  of  the  iron  at  once  by  admitting 
that  it  gives  a  tonic  property  pro  tanto  to  all  the 
springs  into  which  it  enters  as  an  ingredient,  and 
that  according  to  the  case  or  the  constitution  its 
tonic  effects  may  be  accelerated  or  hindered  by  the 
other  constituents  with  which  it  is  combined.  It 
may  also  be  said  of  the  carbonic  acid  that  its 
presence  usually  (not  with  all  persons,  however) 
aids  the  digestion  of  the  water,  and  exercises  a 
beneficial  stimulating  effect  on  the  stomach,  and 
also  on  the  skin,  when  the  waters  are  taken  in  the 
form  of  baths. 

It  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  it  is  next  to  im- 
possible to  decide  altogether  a  priori — i.e.  from  a 
mere  consideration  of  the  component  parts  of  a 
mineral  spring — what  will  be  its  effect  in  all  cases  or 
in  any  particular  case.  In  the  final  appeal  experience 
must  be  the  test.  For  it  has  been  well  observed  that 
mineral  waters  are  very  composite  remedies,  and  we 
cannot  regard  the  combined  action  of  a  great  number 
of  substances  merely  as  the  sum  of  their  separate 
actions,  since  they  may  partly  aid  and  partly  hinder 
each  other  in  their  effect  upon  the  organism.  In  these 
very  springs,  for  instance,  we  find  the  aperient  chloride 


210  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

of  magnesium  counteracted  by  the  astringent  car- 
bonate of  lime. 

Many  gouty  patients  and  sufferers  from  uric 
acid  troubles  are  sent  to  drink  the  Homburg 
waters,  but  it  is  doubted  by  many  authorities  if 
Homburg  is  the  best  place  to  send  gouty  patients 
to  indiscriminately.  If  Homburg,  it  is  said,  in 
addition  to  its  Elisabethenbnmnen,  had  a  mild, 
warm,  alkaline  spring,  like  the  springs  of  Neuenahr 
or  Ems,  it  would  be  worth  all  its  other  springs  put 
together  in  the  treatment  of  many  forms  of  gout — 
forms  of  gout  which  are  sometimes  aggravated  by 
drinking  these  exciting  common  salt  waters.  The 
best  proof  that  a  mineral  water  is  doing  good  is  the 
very  practical  one  that  the  patient  daily  feels  better 
and  stronger.  The  appetite  is  better,  exercise  is  less 
fatiguing,  sleep  is  sounder  and  more  refreshing,  and 
there  is  a  consciousness  of  returning  and  increasing 
energy,  both  intellectual  and  physical.  He  is  a  rash 
physician  who,  in  the  absence  of  any  of  these  signs, 
relentlessly  urges  the  unfortunate  patient  to  persevere 
in  irritating  his  stomach  and  his  nerves  with  the 
promise  of  some  far-off  advantage. 

The  Homburg  course  is,  no  doubt,  of  great  value 
in  some  cases,  especially  in  certain  forms  of 
dyspepsia,  where  the  organs  of  digestion  require 
vigorous  stimulation. 

Many  such  cases  have  gouty  and  rheumatic 
tendencies,  and  then  a  combination  of  drinking  and 
bathing  in  these  salt  and  carbonic  acid  waters  is  of 
great  service.  But  many  rheumatic  and  gouty  cases 
require  a  less  exciting  and  more  solvent  alkaline 
water,  and  others  a  more  decidedly  laxative  one. 
This  is  the  point  to  be  borne  in  mind,  and  it  must 
not  be  overlooked  that  common  salt  waters,  unless 
very  weak,  are  irritating  to  certain  constitutions, 
and  quite  capable  of  exciting  gastric  catarrh,  which 
in  others  they  may  cure.  The  iron  springs  are 
useful  to  anaemic  and  debilitated  persons  whose 
gastro-hepatic  functions  may  require  stimulating ; 


SECT.  B.]  HOMBURG.  211 

and  certain  female  pelvic  affections  appear  to  be 
benefited. 

Much  advantage  no  doubt  attends  the  routine 
of  rising  early  every  morning  and  promenading,  in 
cheerful  society,  for  an  hour  or  two  in  the  fresh 
morning  air  ;  but  some  delicate  persons  are  induced 
to  do  this  who  had  better  remain  in  their  beds.  No 
inconsiderable  benefit  is  doubtless  derived  in  many 
cases  from  the  simple  ingestion  of  a  quantity  of 
water,  independently  of  and  sometimes  in  spite  of 
its  mineral  contents.  The  action  of  the  chloride  of 
sodium  in  these  springs  is  believed  to  depend  on 
its  influence  in  promoting  those  tissue  changes  neces- 
sary to  healthy  nutrition.  It  helps  us  to  get  rid 
of  the  worn-out  or  half  worn-out  parts  of  our 
organism  that  linger  in  our  bodies  and  clog  and 
impede  their  mechanism,  and  interfere  with  their 
vital  chemistry.  It  helps  us  at  the  same  time  to 
get  rid  of  our  somewhat  ill-defined  aches  and  pains 
and  infirmities,  which  an  artificial  existence  and  a 
too  busy  or  too  careless  life  induces  ;  and  it  would 
do  this,  perhaps,  far  more  effectually  if  we  did  not 
find  here  too  much  of  that  very  artificial  and  con- 
ventional life  which  brings  these  evils  in  its  train. 
It  is,  indeed,  certain  that  these  social  attractions 
induce  many  patients  to  visit  Homburg  whose 
maladies  might  be  better  treated  elsewhere. 

Scrofulous  diseases  of  the  glands,  of  the  bones, 
of  the  skin — "torpid  scrofula,"  as  it  is  called — 
are  treated  advantageously  with  these  salt  waters, 
and  especially  with  the  salt  baths.  Many  sufferers 
from  chronic  muscular  rheumatism  and  chronic  gout 
find  great  advantage  from  combining  the  use  of  these 
Homburg  waters  with  that  of  the  pine-leaf  baths 
which  are  prepared  here.  An  extract  of  pine-leaves 
is  added  to  the  heated  salt  spring,  and  a  very  grate- 
ful aromatic  bath  is  thus  produced.  Mud  baths,  as 
well  as  pine-needle  baths,  electric  and  vapour  baths, 
gymnastics,  massage,  and  all  forms  of  mechanical 
treatment  can  be  obtained  at  Homburg. 


212 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


The  bath  establishments  are  well  equipped. 
Hotels  and  private  apartments  are  comfortable  or 
luxurious,  and  being  only  half  an  hour  by  rail  from 
Frankfort,  Homburg  is  very  accessible  from  all  parts 
of  Europe. 


Haarlem  (Holland)  has  a  cold 
chalybeate  spring,  containing  also 
chloride  of  sodium  (3-2  grammes 
per  litre). 

Hall  (Swabisch  Hall)  in  Wiir- 
temberg,  a  small  common  salt 
bath  picturesquely  situated  on  the 
Kocher,  in  the  Kocher  valley,  at 
an  altitude  of  nearly  1,000  feet, 
and  near  extensive  forests.  It  has 
a  station  on  the  Crailsheim-Heil- 
bronn  line.  It  has  a  cold  salt 
spring,  containing  23  grammes  of 
sodium  chloride  per  litre  ;  a  satu- 
rated brine  is  also  brought  from 
the  Wilhelmsgluck  salt  works.  A 
' '  mother  lye  ' '  from  the  same 
source  is  also  employed  in  the 
preparation  of  "  sool  "  baths. 
Vapour  baths,  river  baths,  and 
artificial  carbonic  acid  baths  are 
used.  The  waters  are  em- 
ployed for  drinking,  for  baths, 
and  for  inhalation  in  the  form  of 
spray.  The  diseases  treated  there 
are  scrofula,  rickets,  gout,  rheu- 
matism, paralysis,  skin  diseases, 
respiratory  catarrhal  affections. 

Season,  May  to  Oct.  i  ;  also  in 
the  winter. 

Hall,  in  the  Austrian  Tyrol,  seven 
miles  from  Innsbruck,  with  which 
it  is  connected  by  railway  and 
tram  line,  has  a  cold  common  salt 
bath,  the  strong  brine  (24  per 
cent.)  being  brought  from  the 
Salzberg,  six  miles  off.  There 
are  also  a  chalybeate  spring  and  a 
weak  sulphur  spring  in  the  ad- 
jacent village  of  Heiligen-Kreuz. 

Season,  from  May  15  to  Oct.  i. 

Hall  (Bad-Hall),  in  Upper  Aus- 
tria, a  common  salt  bath,  has  a 
station  on  the  branch  line  of  the 


Kremsthal.  It  has  a  well-known 
spring,  the  Tassilloquelle,  which 
contains  12  grammes  per  litre  of 
common  salt  and  also  bromide  of 
magnesium  (o-o8i)  and  iodide  of 
magnesium  (0-028)  ;  and  other  salt 
springs.  It  is  a  resort  for  scro- 
fulous and  rickety  children,  for 
syphilis,  and  for  certain  pelvic 
(female)  maladies.  It  has  a  mili- 
tary and  a  civil  sanatorium,  and  a 
hospital  for  scrofulous  children. 

The  season  is  from  May  15  to 
Oct.  i. 

The  water  of  the  Tassillo- 
quelle is  exported  under  the  desig- 
nation of  "  Haller  lodwasser." 

Hallein,  an  Austrian  summer 
resort  eleven  miles  from  Salzburg, 
on  the  left  bank  of  the  Salzach, 
has  well-known  brine  baths.  It 
has  a  station  on  the  line  running 
south  from  Salzburg. 

Hamm,  in  Westphalia — the  bath 
two  kilometres  from  the  town — 
has  thermal  gaseous  brine  baths. 
It  lies,  surrounded  by  pleasure 
grounds,  on  the  Lippe,  and  has  a 
station  on  the  Dortmund-Hanover 
and  Unna-Hamm  lines.  The 
brine  spring  has  a  temperature  of 
94°  F.,  and  is  diluted  with  hot 
water  for  baths  and  used  un- 
diluted for  inhalation  or  spray. 
Mud  baths  and  vapour  baths  are 
also  applied.  Rheumatism,  gout, 
scrofula,  and  catarrh  of  the  mu- 
cous membranes  are  the  maladies 
treated. 

The  season  is  from  May  to 
Oct.  i. 

Hapsal,  in  Esthonia,  near  the 
shores  of  the  Baltic,  has  mud 
baths. 


SECT.    B.] 


HA  RKA  N  Y—HONNEF-. 


213 


Harkany,  in  Hungary,  has  ther- 
mal sulphur  waters  of  a  tempera- 
ture reaching  to  145°  F.  An  in- 
flammable gas  (sulphide  of  car- 
bonyl  =  CO  S)  was  found  over 
the  spring  in  considerable  quan- 
tity by  Karl  von  Than. 

Harzburg  (Bad-Harzburg),  a 
cold  common  salt  bath  and  a 
climatic  summer  resort  in  the 
Duchy  of  Brunswick,  close  to  the 
Harz  mountains  and  at  the  en- 
trance of  the  Radan  valley.  The 
town  lies  at  the  foot'  of  the  Burg 
mountain,  at  an  altitude  of  850 
feet.  It  is  the  terminus  of  the 
Braunschweig  -  Borssun  -  Harz- 
burg line.  It  is  surrounded  by  ex- 
tensive forests  of  pines,  beeches, 
etc.,  which  provide  a  variety  of 
attractive  walks.  It  has  two  salt 
springs ;  one  contains  also  mag- 
nesium sulphate  and  chloride,  and 
the  other  sodium  sulphate.  Both 
are  used  for  baths,  diluted  with 
fresh  water.  They  are  also  used 
for  drinking,  gargling,  and  in- 
haling. Artificial  carbonic  acid 
baths  are  also  used,  and  hot-air 
baths.  Gout,  rheumatism,  neuras- 
thenia, catarrhs  of  the  respiratory 
organs,  and  gastro-hepatic  diseases 
are  the  maladies  treated  there. 

Season,  May  15  to  the  end  of 
September. 

Heilbrunn  (Adelheidsquelle)  is 
a  village  in  the  Bavarian  moun- 
tains, at  an  altitude  of  2,620  feet, 
having  a  station  on  the  Munich- 
Wolfratshausen-Klochl  line.  It 
possesses  a  spring,  the  Adelheids- 
quelle, which  is  a  cold  common 
salt  spring  (4-9  per  litre),  contain- 
ing also  sodium  bicarbonate  (0-9), 
bromide  (0-05),  and  iodide  (0-03). 
It  claims  to  be  the  richest  of  the 
German  salt  waters  in  bromine 
and  iodine.  It  is  doubtful  if 
these  minute  quantities  exercise 
any  special  effect. 

Season,  May  to  October. 

Heiligen  Kreuzbad.  See  Ro- 
hitsch,  p.  305. 


Hercules-Bad,  near  Mahadia  in 
Hungary,  has  thermal  common 
salt  and  sulphur  waters.  It  lies, 
at  an  elevation  of  570  feet,  in  a 
beautiful  situation  at  the  foot  of 
the  Carpathian  mountains,  in  the 
Czaona  valley,  and  is  a  popular 
resort  amongst  the  people  of 
south-eastern  Europe.  It  has  a 
station  on  the  railway  between 
Orsova  and  Temesvar,  three  miles 
from  the  Danube.  Its  baths  were 
known  to  the  Romans.  The 
thermal  springs  vary  in  tempera- 
ture from  70°  to  133°  F.,  and,  like 
the  springs  of  Aix  la  Chapelle, 
contain  sulphuretted  hydrogen 
and  common  salt,  and  the  same 
maladies  are  treated  at  this  spa  as 
at  Aix  la  Chapelle.  The  waters 
are  chiefly  applied  externally. 

The  season  is  from  May  to  the 
end  of  September. 

Hermannsbad,  in  Saxony,  near 
Lausigk,  has  strong  sulphate  of 
iron  waters  unsuited  for  internal 
use. 

Hermannsbad,  at  Muskau  in 
Silesia,  on  the  Neisse,  at  an  alti- 
tude of  920  feet,  has  cold  sul- 
phate of  iron  waters.  The  drink- 
ing spring  contains  0-19  per  litre 
of  sulphate  of  iron  and  0^24  of 
carbonate  of  iron  ;  the  spring  used 
for  baths  is  much  stronger.  Fer- 
ruginous Moor  baths  are  also  pre- 
pared. 

Honnef ,  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Rhine,  at  the  foot  of  the  Sieben- 
gebirge,  with  a  station  on  the 
line  from  Cologne  to  Frankfort, 
and  also  a  steamboat  station, 
has  a  cold  gaseous  alkaline  salt 
spring,  called  the  Drachenquelle. 
Its  chief  constituents  are  sodium 
carbonate,  chloride  and  sulphate, 
and  magnesium  carbonate.  We 
are  not  in  possession  of  the  exact 
quantities,  as  its  exploitation  is  of 
quite  recent  date. 

It  is  used  for  drinking  and  in- 
haling and  for  baths  and  shower- 
baths.  It  is  also  exported  charged 


214  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I. 


with  carbonic  acid.  There  is  a 
small  new  bath  establishment. 
The  mineral  baths  are  warmed  by 
the  addition  of  hot  mineral  water, 
conducted  through  closed  pipes. 
There  is  an  inhalation  room,  the 
spray  being  produced  by  com- 
pressed air.  It  is  much  used  by 


the  patients  at  the  neighbouring 
Hohenhonnef  sanatorium.  The 
grape  cure  can  also  be  taken  there 
in  the  autumn. 

Hunyadi  Janos,  a  purgative 
Hungarian  "  bitter  water  "  con- 
taining sulphates  of  magnesium 
and  sodium  chiefly. 


Ischia.— This  historic  and  beautiful  island  in  the 
Bay  of  Naples  has  been  known  for  ages  as  possess- 
ing several  important  thermal  springs.  A  melancholy 
interest  attaches  to  those  near  Casamicciola,  as  the 
baths  there  and  the  patients  dwelling  in  them 
suffered  severely  in  the  terrible  earthquake  which 
did  so  much  damage  in  1883.  The  Gurgitello  spring, 
near  Casamicciola,  is  probably  the  best  known  in 
the  island.  It  is  a  weak  alkaline  common-salt  spring 
of  a  high  temperature,  varying  from  131°  to  i49°F. 
It  is  said  to  contain  27  of  sodium  chloride  and  1*5 
of  sodium  bicarbonate  out  of  a  total  of  solids  amount- 
ing to  5*8  per  litre. 

There  are  satisfactory  hotels  at  Casamicciola  and 
others  at  Porto  d' Ischia  and  Bagno  d' Ischia,  at  a 
distance  of  three  or  four  miles.  Military  and 
municipal  thermal  establishments  .are  to  be  found 
at  Bagno  dTschia.  At  Castiglione  and  at  other  parts 
of  the  island  natural  vapour  baths  can  be  obtained. 
It  is  also  a  resort  for  sea  baths  and  sand  baths. 

Ischl,  1,535  feet  above  the  sea,  most  beautifully 
situated  in  the  centre  of  the  Salzkammergut,  at 
the  junction  of  the  Traun  and  the  Ischl,  is  one  of  the 
most  frequented  and  fashionable  of  Austrian  spas, 
crowded  in  the  summer  with  visitors  from  Vienna, 
who  visit  it  as  a  resort  of  pleasure,  or  for  its  climate 
as  well  as  for  its  waters. 

It  possesses  salt  mines  and  salt  works  ;  and  Sool 
baths,  i.e.  strong  brine  baths,  are  given  there  ;  also 
mud  and  Moor  baths,  sulphur  baths,  pine-cone  baths, 
and  Sool  vapour  baths  are  employed.  The  latter 


SECT.    B.j  ISCHL:  21  S 

are  produced  by  boiling  the  concentrated  brine  from 
the  salt  works,  and  residence  in  the  steaming  atmo- 
sphere thus  formed  is  considered  to  be  useful  in  cases 
of  bronchial  catarrh,  and  in  some  cases  of  phthisis. 

The  strong  brine  contains  235  grammes  per  litre 
of  common  salt.  The  Schwefelquelle  has  17*0 
grammes  per  litre  of  sodium  chloride,  and  4*0  of 
sodium  sulphate,  and  a  small  amount  of  H2S.  The 
drinking  springs  (Klebelsbergquelle  and  Marie 
Luisenquelle)  only  contain  about  5-0  grammes 
per  litre  of  common  salt.  Other  mineral  waters 
are  imported  and  often  prescribed.  Paths  have  been 
marked  out  for  the  "  Terrain  Kur"  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood. 

There  is  also  a  milk  and  whey  cure  ;  and,  indeed, 
nearly  every  form  of  cure  can  be  carried  out  at 
Ischl.  Close  to  the  town  there  is  a  well-arranged 
hydropathic  establishment. 

The  climate  of  Ischl  is  peculiarly  mild,  equable, 
and  soothing,  and  owing  to  its  being  surrounded 
by  high  mountains,  covered  with  pine  woods, 
the  atmosphere  is  generally  calm  and  moist  ;  it 
is  therefore  well  suited  to  delicate  and  irritable 
respiratory  organs.  Residence  on  the  higher  slopes, 
rather  than  in  the  town  itself,  is  more  bracing.  Irri- 
table conditions  of  the  nervous  system,  and  neu- 
rasthenia, certain  disorders  of  the  female  pelvic 
organs,  scrofulous  affections,  catarrhal  disorders  of 
the  throat  and  air  passages,  and  some  chronic  skin 
affections  are  benefited  by  treatment  there. 

It  is  also  suitable  as  an  after-cure  to  active 
treatment  at  other  spas. 

Ischl  has  a  very  fine  Kurhaus,  many  first-class 
hotels  (the  Hotel  Bauer,  on  the  hill,  is  considered 
to  have  the  best  situation),  and  every  resource  to 
make  spa  life  pass  pleasantly.  It  is  connected  by 
rail  with  the  line  running  between  Salzburg  and 
Vienna. 

The  season  is  from  June  ist  to  Oct.  ist,  but 
it  may  be  visited  at  an  earlier  or  a  later  date. 


216 


MINERAL    SPRINGS-. 


[PART  i. 


Ilidze,  in  Bosnia,  has  thermal 
calcareous  sulphur  waters  of  a  tem- 
perature of  124°  F.  They  con- 
tain free  sulphuretted  hydrogen 
and  about  i  gramme  per  litre  of 
calcium  carbonate  and  half  as 
much  sodium  sulphate.  It  is  in  a 
fine  situation,  at  an  altitude  of 
i, 600  feet,  eight  miles  from  Sera- 
jevo,  the  chief  town  of  Bosnia. 

These  waters  have  a  local  re- 
putation in  the  treatment  of  rheu- 
matoid arthritis. 

Imnau,  with  cold  gaseous 
chalybeate  springs,  is  situated  in 
the  principality  of  Hohenzollern, 
in  a  picturesque  spot  in  the  valley 
of  the  Eyach,  and  is  half  an  hour's 
distance  from  the  Eyach  railway 
station,  at  an  elevation  of  1,140 
feet.  The  strongest  spring  (Kas- 
parquelle)  contains  0-05  of  bicar- 
bonate of  iron  per  litre,  0^03  of 
manganese  bicarbonate,  and  1-4 
of  calcium  bicarbonate.  A  weaker 
spring  (Fiirstenquelle)  has  only 
o-oi  of  bicarbonate  of  iron.  Both 
are  rich  in  carbonic  acid  gas. 

Innichen,  in  the  Austrian  Tyrol 
— Wildbad  Innichen  —  has  two 
cold  sulphur  springs  and  a  chaly- 
beate one.  It  is  finely  situated, 
at  an  altitude  of  4,370  feet,  in  the 
Passerthal.  The  bath  is  distant 
three-quarters  of  an  hour  from  the 
railway  station  of  Innichen. 

Inowrazlaw  is  a  considerable 
town  in  the  province  of  Posen, 
Germany,  and  has  a  station  on 
the  Posen-Thorn  line.  Saturated 
brine  from  the  salt  mines  is  used 
there  for  baths.  The  principal 
constituents  are  sodium  and  mag- 
nesium chlorides.  The  baths  re- 
semble those  at  Droitwich.  The 
brine  and  Mutterlauge  obtained 
from  it  are  diluted  for  the  baths. 


and  are  also  utilised  for  inhala- 
tion and  gargling.  Mud  baths 
and  artificial  carbonic  acid  gas 
baths  are  also  prepared.  The 
cases  treated  there  are  those  of 
chronic  gout  and  rheumatism, 
scrofula,  old  inflammatory  exuda- 
tions, and  female  pelvic  maladies. 

The  season  is  from  May  15  to 
Sept.  15. 

Inselbad,  near  Paderborn,  in 
Westphalia,  has  a  cold  weakly 
mineralised  calcareous  spring,  the 
Ottilienquelle,  and  a  sanatorium, 
at  an  elevation  of  520  feet,  for  the 
treatment  of  asthma  especially, 
and  chronic  diseases  of  the  organs 
of  respiration.  This  spring  is 
known  for  the  amount  of  free 
nitrogen  it  contains  (40  vols.  per 
litre),  as  well  as  some  carbonic 
acid  gas.  There  is  also  a  chaly- 
beate spring,  used  for  drinking, 
and  a  cold  sulphur  spring.  The 
Ottilien  water  and  the  gases  con- 
tained in  it  are  used  for  inhalation. 
The  water  is  also  drunk.  Mud 
baths,  sand  baths,  and  artificial 
carbonic  acid  baths  are  used. 

The  sanatorium  is  open  the 
whole  year.  Railway  station  on 
the  Soest-Holzminden  line. 

Ivonicz  or  Ivonitch,  a  resort  in 
the  Carpathians  (Galicia),  at  an 
altitude  of  1,340  feet,  having  cold 
gaseous  alkaline  common  salt 
springs,  also  chalybeate  springs 
and  naphtha  springs ;  the  latter 
are  used  for  inhalation.  Moor 
and  mud  baths  are  also  used. 
The  Karlsquelle  contains  about 
8-o  grammes  of  common  salt  per 
litre,  1-7  of  sodium  carbonate,  and 
some  sodium  iodide  and  bromide 
(about  0-04  together).  The  bath 
establishment  is  about  seven  miles 
and  a-half  from  the  railway  station. 


Jagstfeld,  Wurtemburg,  a  few 
miles  from  Heilbronn,  a  brine 
bath  on  the  Jagst,  where  it  flows 
into  the  Neckar.  It  has  a  station 


on  the  Heilbronn  -  Osterburken 
line.  Its  elevation  above  the  sea 
is  450  feet,  and  it  is  adjacent  to 
extensive  woodlands  affording 


SECT.    B.] 


KISSINGEN. 


217 


pleasant  walks.  It  obtains  a 
saturated  salt  solution  from  the 
Friedrichshall  salt  works ;  this 
diluted  with  water  is  used  for 
bathing,  inhaling,  and  gargling. 
The  bath  establishments  are  also 
hotels,  so  that  patients  have  not 
to  go  out  for  their  baths.  There 
is  a  bathing  sanatorium  for 
children,  the  "  Bethesda."  Cases 
treated  are  scrofula,  catarrhs  of 
the  air  -  passages,  rheumatism, 
chronic  inflammatory  exudations, 
and  female  maladies. 

The  season  is  from  May  i  to 
Oct.  15. 

Jalcznovodsk,  thermal  chaly- 
beate springs,  in  the  Caucasus, 
said  to  resemble  those  of  La  Malou 
in  the  south  of  France. 

Johannisbad,  a  Bohemian  bath 
with  indifferent  thermal  waters  of 
a  temperature  of  85°  F.,  is  situated 
at  an  altitude  of  2,300  feet  in  a 
mountainous  district  south  of  the 


Riesengebirge.  There  is  also  a 
weak  chalybeate  spring  in  the 
neighbourhood  containing  o-oi  of 
bicarbonate  of  iron  per  litre.  The 
climate  is  said  to  be  very  exhila- 
rating, and  this  combined  with 
thermal  treatment  appears  to  have 
an  excellent  effect  in  cases  of  pro- 
tracted convalescence  and  neuras- 
thenia and  general  debility.  Jo- 
hannisbad is  sometimes  selected 
as  an  after-cure  to  Carlsbad  and 
Marienbad. 

The  season  is  from  May  15  to 
the  end  of  September,  but  the 
best  weather  is  usually  met  with 
at  the  end  of  August  and  through 
September.  The  place  is  a  mile 
and  a-half  from  Freiheit,  the  ter- 
minus of  a  branch  railway  from 
Trautenau. 

Johannis  water,  an  excellent 
gaseous  slightly  alkaline  table  water  ; 
the  springs  are  at  Zollhaus. 

Juliushall.  S^Harzburg,  p. 213. 


Kissingen,  in  Bavaria,  is  one  of  the  most 
popular  spas  in  Europe,  and  justly  so.  It  is  not 
exactly  fashionable,  like  Homburg,  but  it  is  better 
than  that,  it  is  useful  and  health-giving.  It  can  be 
reached  in  twenty-seven  hours  from  London  via 
Aschaffenburg  and  Wurzburg.  It  is  situated  in  a 
pleasant  open  valley,  through  which  flows  the  Fran- 
conian  Saale.  This  valley  is  bounded  on  each  side 
by  picturesque  wooded  hills,  and  is  640  feet  above  the 
sea  level.  Terrain-Kur  walks  are  marked  out  on  these 
gently  sloping  hills.  Kissingen  was  known  as  a  health 
resort  as  long  ago  as  the  sixteenth  century ;  but 
its  great  popularity  is  of  modern  growth,  and  the 
quiet  village  of  former  times  has  developed  into  a 
handsome,  well-built  town. 

It  possesses  a  fine,  spacious  promenade  or  Kur- 
garten,  between  the  Kurhaus  and  the  Kursaal, 
which  presents  an  animated  appearance  between 
the  hours  of  7  and  9  a.m.  and  6  and  7  p.m.,  when 


2i8  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

the  band  plays  and  the  Kur-guests  take  their 
waters  and  gently  exercise  themselves.  The  two 
principal  springs — the  Ragoczy  and  the  Pandur — are 
on  the  south  side  of  this  promenade  ;  the  Max- 
brunnen,  the  milder  spring,  is  on  the  north  side. 

There  are  three  bath-houses  belonging  to  the 
State — the  Kurhaus,  the  Saline,  and  the  one 
formerly  called  Actienbad.  The  brine  of  the 
Schonbornsprudel  is  brought  a  distance  of  four 
kilometres  to  prepare  the  Sool  baths.  Mud  baths 
are  also  prepared.  There  is  provision  for  pine- 
needle  inhalation,  pneumatic  treatment,  gymnastics, 
massage,  etc. 

The  usual  daily  life  at  Kissingen  is  to  drink 
the  waters  from  7  to  9  a.m.,  breakfast  in  one's  own 
rooms  afterwards,  and  then  those  who  bathe  do  so  ; 
one  o'clock  is  the  dinner  hour,  the  dinner  being, 
as  a  rule,  plain  and  governed  by  medical  orders ; 
after  dinner  coffee  is  generally  taken  in  the  open 
air,  and  the  time  between  this  and  6  p.m.  is  devoted 
to  exercise  and  amusement.  From  six  to  seven 
the  waters  are  again  taken,  and  there  is  a  general 
promenade  with  music  in  the  Kurgarten.  Then 
supper  and  bed. 

Kissingen  is  the  type  of  a  moderately  strong 
cold  common  salt  spring,  with  abundance  of  free 
carbonic  acid.  Compared  with  Homburg  it  contains 
but  little  more  than  half  the  quantity  of  common 
salt.  The  Ragoczy  at  Kissingen,  the  spring  usually 
drunk  there,  conta'ins  six  grammes  of  common  salt 
to  the  litre. 

The  Pandur  Spring  scarcely  differs  in  composition 
from  the  Ragoczy  ;  it  contains  a  little  less  common 
salt  and  a  little  more  free  carbonic  acid.  The  Max- 
brunnen  is  much  weaker — it  is  a  very  weak  gaseous 
common  salt  spring,  and  is  often  taken  merely  as 
a  pleasant  beverage. 

The  Ragoczy  contains,  besides  common  salt 
and  carbonic  acid,  a  small  quantity  of  the  chlorides 
of  magnesium,  potassium,  and  lithium,  as  well  as 


SECT.  B.]  KISSINGEN.  219 

a  moderate  amount  of  the  tonic  carbonate  of  iron 
(0*03  per  litre),  and  some  carbonate  of  lime  (i 
gramme). 

An  artificial  "  Kissingen  bitter  water"  is  pre- 
pared from  the  Sool  springs,  and  this  is  mixed, 
in  certain  proportions,  with  Ragoczy  and  Pandur 
waters  when  a  more  purgative  action  is  desirable. 

The  Kissingen  waters  have  proved  beyond  all 
others  especially  valuable  in  certain  forms  of  atonic 
dyspepsia,  in  nervous  as  well  as  in  gouty  persons. 
In  chronic  gastric  and  intestinal  catarrh,  and  the 
digestive  troubles  it  involves,  a  course  of  Kissingen 
waters  often  proves  more  effectual  than  any  other 
remedy.  Many  instances  of  this  form  of  dyspepsia, 
which  have  resisted  all  forms  of  dieting  and  medica- 
tion at  home,  recover  completely  at  Kissingen. 
In  some  of  these  cases  it  is  found  advantageous  to 
warm  the  water  before  drinking,  in  which  process 
most  of  the  carbonic  acid  escapes. 

The  moderate  quantity  of  salt  and  the  considerable 
amount  of  carbonic  acid  contained  in  the  Ragoczy 
springs  are  sufficiently  stimulating  to  the  gastric 
mucous  membrane  to  rouse  it  into  greater  activity ;  • 
while  the  appreciable  amount  of  iron  gives  tone 
to  the  debilitated  and  exhausted  constitution,  and 
the  aperient  ingredients  promote  the  abdominal  cir- 
culation, and  tend  to  remove  congestions  of  the 
liver  and  improve  the  functions  of  that  too  often 
erring  organ.  So  that  these  springs  act  as  aperients 
and  hepatic  stimulants. 

They  are  therefore  valuable  in  cases  of  con- 
stipation with  haemorrhoids,  and  in  the  constipation 
of  anaemia. 

By  their  aperient  action  and  their  tendency  to 
promote  tissue  changes  they  are  useful  in  the  treat- 
ment of  obesity,  and  are  better  borne  by  feeble 
persons,  who  have  this  object  in  view,  than  the 
stronger  springs  which  are  often  prescribed  for  this 
purpose. 

Painful  gouty,  rheumatic,  and  neuralgic  conditions, 


220  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

when  they  are  obviously  associated  with  digestive 
troubles,  are  suitable  cases  for  treatment  at  Kissing- 
en, and  in  the  removal  of  these  conditions  the 
excellent  baths  available  there  afford  important  aid. 

The  warm  mud  baths  prove  exceedingly  sooth- 
ing to  many  cases  of  chronic  muscular  pains,  chronic 
joint  pains,  and  chronic  neuralgias,  especially  when 
they  are  of  rheumatic  or  gouty  origin. 

What  are  called  "  sool-spray  baths "  are  also 
procurable  here.  These  are  a  kind  of  vapour  bath 
in  which  the  atmosphere  is  kept  at  a  temperature 
of  from  78°  to  86°  F.  saturated  with  vapour,  and 
in  which  particles  of  salt  are  held  suspended  by 
means  of  mechanical  pulverisation  of  the  water. 
This  is  an  excellent  stimulant  to  the  surface,  and 
is  not  only  useful  in  some  forms  of  rheumatic  and 
gouty  pains,  but  is  of  value  also  in  those  chronic 
cases  of  bronchial  catarrh  which  are  met  with  in 
gouty  persons.  For  these  the  moderately  active 
aperient  waters  are  also  serviceable,  as  they  tend 
to  relieve  the  abdominal  plethora  from  which  such 
persons  also  suffer. 

Persons  affected  with  malarial  cachexia  are 
benefited  by  the  Kissingen  course.  Cases  of  gouty 
glycosuria  and  early  gouty  nephritis  also  often  do 
well  there. 

About  a  mile  and  a-half  from  Kissingen  to  the 
north,  on  the  Saale,  leading  to  which  there  are 
walks  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  is  a  strong  salt 
spring  containing  large  quantities  of  carbonic  acid; 
here  there  are  salt  works  (the  Saline  and  Gradir- 
hauser),  and  the  strong  gaseous  salt  water  is  used 
for  baths  and  douches  of  various  kinds,  and  especially 
in  the  form  of  a  wave  bath  :  "  a  broad  radiating  sheet 
of  water  cuts  the  water  of  the  bath  at  the  point 
where  it  is  brought  in  contact  with  it,  lifting  the 
surface  into  waves  resembling  those  of  the  sea," 

This  bath  is  employed  at  a  lower  temperature 
than  most  saline  baths,  and  is  said  to  be  very 
refreshing  and  invigorating. 


SECT.  B.]  KREUZNACH.  221 

There  is  also  an  arrangement  here  for  collecting 
the  carbonic  acid  gas  as  it  rushes  from  the  spring, 
and  using  it  in  various  forms  of  gas  baths  in  cases 
that  are  thought  appropriate. 

Chalybeate  water  from  the  neighbouring  Bocklet 
spa  is  brought  to  Kissingen  and  drunk  (usually  later 
in  the  day)  in  addition  to  the  other  water  in 
anaemic  cases.  Warm,  gaseous  Sool  baths,  like 
those  at  Nauheim,  are  prepared  at  Kissingen,  and 
can  be  applied  in  the  same  cases  as  at  Nauheim. 

The  season  is  from  May  ist  to  Oct.  ist. 

Kreuznach  is  situated  in  Rhenish  Prussia  in  the 
valley  of  the  Nahe,  about  ten  miles  from  Bingen,  on 
the  left  bank  of  the  Rhine,  at  an  altitude  of  350  feet. 
It  enjoys  a  pre-eminent  reputation  among  salt  baths 
for  the  treatment  of  all  forms  of  scrofulous  disease 
and  of  certain  chronic  uterine  affections.  The 
springs  have  been  termed  "  bromioduretted,"  and 
they  contain  a  certain  very  small  amount  of 
compounds  of  iodine  and  bromine  ;  but  those  who 
are  most  familiar  \vith  their  use  and  application 
place  but  little  reliance  on  the  presence  of  these 
compounds,  and  regard  them  rather  as  strong  salt 
springs,  which  they  fortify  in  a  special  manner  and 
apply  also  in  a  special  fashion. 

The  Kurhaus  is  well  equipped  writh  hot-air  and 
vapour  baths  and  has  excellent  arrangements  for 
massage  and  douches.  It  also  has  an  inhalation 
chamber,  the  air  of  which  is  charged  with  pulverised 
mineral  water  by  the  Wassmuth  method,  as  at  many 
other  spas.  Patients  sit  in  this  chamber  protected 
with  a  sort  of  loose  frock  and  inhale  the  spray. 

Artificial  carbonic  acid  baths,  mud,  electric,  and 
medicated  baths  are  also  used. 

The  springs  chiefly  used  for  drinking,  the  Elisa- 
beth Spring  and  the  Oranienquelle,  arise  in  Kreuz- 
nach itself,  quite  close  to  the  Kursaal ;  but  the  other 
springs  used  for  bathing  are  found  at  some  distance 
from  Kreuznach,  especially  at  Theodorshalle,  a  mile 


222  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I. 

off,  and  at  Miinster-am-Stein,  two  and  a-half  .miles 
distant.  The  Elisabeth  Spring  contains  10  grammes 
of  chloride  of  sodium  per  litre,  and  small  amounts  of 
bromide  and  of  iodide  of  sodium.  Of  chloride  of 
calcium  there  is  rather  a  large  proportion — 1-9 
grammes  per  litre.  It  contains  also  minute  quantities 
of  other  salts,  and  traces  of  arsenic.  This  is  the 
only  spring  used  for  drinking,  and  it  is  drunk  first  in 
small  quantities,  and  gradually  increased  to  about 
a  pint  daily.  It  is  usually  drunk  fasting  in  the 
morning.  It  is  not  sparkling,  as  it  contains  no 
carbonic  acid ;  but  it  is  not  very  unpleasant  to 
drink. 

It  is  chiefly,  however,  to  the  use  of  the  baths 
that  the  physicians  at  Kreuznach  trust  for  producing 
the  good  effects  which  they  claim  from  the  use  of 
their  springs  ;  and  these  baths  are  administered  in  a 
special  manner.  Most  of  them  are  fortified  by  the 
addition  of  "  mother  lye,"  which  contains  about  200 
grammes  of  calcium  chloride  per  litre.  This  is  prepared 
at  Theodorshalle  and  Munster-am-Stein,  in  connection 
with  the  salt  works  at  those  places.  Immense  hedges 
of  rough  twigs  and  brambles  are  built  up,  termed 
"  gradirhauser,"  and  the  water  from  the  springs  is 
allowed  to  flow  over  these,  and  by  a  great  extent  of 
surface  being  thus  exposed  to  the  air,  it  becomes 
concentrated  to  a  certain  degree ;  it  is  then  col- 
lected and  boiled  in  large  pans,  and  after  boiling 
it  is  kept  at  a  high  temperature  for  several  days ; 
in  this  process  the  chloride  of  sodium  for  the  most 
part  is  separated  by  crystallisation,  and  the  liquor 
left  behind,  after  further  concentration,  forms  the 
"  mother  lye." 

This  differs  much  in  composition  from  the  water 
of  the  springs  from  which  it  is  derived.  It  is  a 
yellowish-browTn,  oily-looking  liquid,  containing  but 
a  relatively  small  quantity  of  common  salt ;  while 
the  other  chlorides,  especially  the  chloride  of 
calcium,  are  in  larger  amounts.  It  also  contains  an 
appreciable  quantity  of  bromide  of  potassium.  It  is 


SECT.  B.]  KREUZNACH.  223 

usual  to  add  to  a  single  bath  about  two  litres  of 
"  mother  lye  "  and  two  and  a-half  kilos  of  common 
salt ;  but  this  quantity  of  "  mother  lye  "  is  largely 
increased  in  certain  cases.  In  a  bath  of  this  kind  the 
patients  are  retained  for  a  long  time,  often  for  an 
hour,  and  a  long  period  of  repose  is  also  needed 
after  a  prolonged  bath  of  this  sort.  It  produces  much 
drowsiness  and  a  feeling  of  exhaustion.  The  baths 
are  given  in  wooden  tubs  owing  to  the  action  of 
the  "mother  lye"  on  stone  and  porcelain.  The 
hotels  and  many  of  the  houses  are  supplied  with 
mineral  water,  which  is  very  abundant. 

Kreuznach  is  celebrated  especially  for  the  treat- 
ment of  chronic  catarrhs  of  the  respiratory  organs, 
nasal,  laryngeal,  and  bronchial,  of  scrofulous,  glan- 
dular, and  other  enlargements,  certain  diseases  of 
women,  as  chronic  catarrhal  and  inflammatory  states 
of  the  pelvic  organs  and  the  residues  of  pelvic 
cellulitis  and  inflammatory  exudations  generally, 
certain  forms  of  skin  disease,  especially  syphilitic,  and 
certain  forms  of  gout  and  rheumatism.  The  system 
pursued  there  is  regarded  as  the  typical  mode  of 
applying  strong  salt  springs,  internally  and  externally, 
for  the  relief  of  chronic  maladies. 

Kreuznach  possesses  an  abundance  of  springs, 
many  of  which  belong  to  the  salt  works  at  Carls- 
halle,  Theodorshalle,  and  Mimster-am-Stein ;  and 
the  large  supply  of  "  mother  lye "  and  the  salts 
extracted  therefrom,  always  at  hand,  enables  the 
physicians  to  use  baths  and  local  applications  of  any 
degree  of  strength  they  may  require,  and  for  any 
length  of  time.  Such  local  applications  prove  most 
efficacious  in  promoting  the  absorption  of  scrofulous 
and  other  hypertrophies  and  deposits. 

Munster-am-Stetn,  two  and  a-half  miles  higher 
up  the  river  Nahe,  also  a  bathing-station,  where 
the  same  mode  of  treatment  is  carried  out  as  at 
Kreuznach,  is  much  more  picturesquely  situated.  It 
lies  at  the  foot  of  precipitous  red  porphyry  cliffs — 
one,  the  Rheingrafenstein,  rising  to  a  considerable 


224 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  I. 


height  almost  perpendicularly  from  the  river,  forms 
a  grand  object ;  and  another,  the  Cans,  an  indented 
ridge  of  porphyry,  rises  some  200  feet  higher,  and 
commands  a  most  extensive  view  of  the  valley  of 
the  Nahe. 

The  season  is  from  May  ist  to  Oct.  ist. 


Kainzenbad,  a  cold  sulphur  spring 
near  Partenkirchen  in  the  Ba- 
varian Alps,  at  an  elevation  of 
2,460  feet,  distant  about  half  an 
hour  from  the  station  Garmisch- 
Partenkirchen.  There  are  also  a 
chalybeate  water  and  a  weak  alka- 
line spring  ;  the  former  contains 
protocarbonate  of  iron  and  the 
latter  sodium  carbonate.  The 
sulphur  water  (Gutequelle),  which 
is  brought  in  barrels  from  the 
source,  distant  a  kilometre  from 
the  bath  house,  contains  sodium 
carbonate  and  sulphuretted  hydro- 
gen. These  springs  are  utilised 
for  drinking,  bathing,  gargling, 
and  inhalations.  Moor  baths, 
pine-needle  and  artificial  carbonic 
acid  baths  are  given,  and  it  is  also 
a  station  for  milk  and  whey  cures 
and  hydrotherapy. 

The  season  is  from  May  i  to 
Oct.  i. 

The  diseases  treated  there  are 
chronic  gout  and  rheumatism, 
catarrh  of  the  respiratory  organs, 
stomach,  and  intestines,  catarrhal 
jaundice,  skin  diseases,  chlorosis. 

Karlsbad,  near  Mergentheim, 
Wlirtemberg,  has  cold  gaseous 
springs  containing  chiefly  common 
salt  and  the  aperient  sulphates. 
The  Karlsquelle  contains  13 '3  per 
litre  common  salt,  3-7  sodium  and 
2'5  magnesium  sulphates.  This 
water  is  used  in  the  treatment  of 
chronic  constipation  and  chronic 
gastric  and  intestinal  catarrh. 

Kellberg,  a  chalybeate  spring, 
with  a  sanatorium,  near  Passau, 
on  a  spur  of  the  Bavarian  Forest 
mountains  looking  over  the 


Danube,  at  an  elevation  of  nearly 
1,500  feet,  and  open  all  the  year 
round.  The  spring  contains  proto- 
carbonate of  iron  and  free  carbonic 
acid .  It  is  exported  after  charging 
with  artificial  carbonic  acid.  It 
is  also  used  at  the  source  for  drink- 
ing and  baths.  Mud  baths,  arti- 
ficial carbonic  acid  gas  baths, 
gymnastics,  massage,  and  hydro- 
pathy are  applied  there  in  the 
treatment  chiefly  of  anaemia  and 
chlorosis. 

Kiedrich,  near  Eltville,  on  the 
Rhine  (Hesse-Nassau) ,  has  a  com- 
mon salt  spring,  the  "  Kiedricher 
Sprudel,"  containing  sodium 
chloride  6-7  per  litre,  potassium 
chloride  05,  calcium  chloride 
0-75,  and  lithium  0-06.  It  claims 
to  be  one  of  the  richest  lithium 
springs. 

Koenigsdorf  -  Jastrzemb,  in 
Upper  Silesia,  near  the  Austrian 
frontier,  in  a  mountainous  district 
at  an  altitude  of  nearly  1,000  feet, 
has  common  salt  springs  contain- 
ing ii-o  sodium  chloride  per  litre 
and  small  amounts  of  magnesium 
bromide  and  iodide.  The  usual 
method  of  applying  brine  baths 
together  with  drinking  is  carried 
out,  and  other  curative  methods, 
such  as  mud  baths,  medicated 
baths,  and  massage,  are  in  use. 

Season,  May  15  to  Oct.  i. 

Koenigswart,  in  Bohemia,  about 
five  miles  from  Marienbad,  and  be- 
tween that  town  and  Eger,  has 
cold  gaseous  chalybeate  springs,  con- 
taining 0-08  per  litre  of  bicar- 
bonate of  iron.  The  Kurhaus  is 
very  pleasantly  situated  on  a 


SECT.    B.] 


KOESEN—KRYNICA . 


225 


wooded  hill  about  half  an  hour's 
drive  from  the  railway  station.  It 
has  also  a  simple  gaseous  spring. 
Moor  baths  are  prepared  there  as 
at  Marienbad.  It  has  climatic 
advantages  from  its  open  and 
elevated  situation  ;  its  altitude  is 
2,230  feet,  and  is  therefore  well 
adapted  to  the  treatment  of  anae- 
mic cases  and  cases  of  retarded 
convalescence.  It  has  also  been 
suggested  as  a  suitable  after-cure 
to  the  great  Bohemian  spas  in  its 
neighbourhood,  Carlsbad,  Marien- 
bad, and  Franzensbad. 

Koesen,  in  Saxony,  on  the  Saale, 
has  cold  brine  baths,  and  a  sana- 
torium for  children.  Besides  the 
use  of  the  salt  springs  in  the  usual 
class  of  cases,  other  remedies  are 
provided,  as  inhalations  of  pine- 
needle  steam,  electric  baths,  hy- 
dropathy, gymnastics,  and  mas- 
sage. The  railway  station  is  on 
the  Halle-Bebra  line. 

Kohlgrub,  in  Upper  Bavaria,  at 
an  altitude  of  nearly  3,000  feet,  in 
a  mountainous  district,  has  strong 
chalybeate  springs,  containing  as 
much  as  0-09  of  bicarbonate  of 
iron  per  litre,  also  a  small  amount 
of  manganese.  The  situation  is  a 
very  agreeable  one  with  bracing 
mountain  air,  and  is  well  suited 
for  an  iron  cure.  The  station  is 
on  an  electric  railway,  Murnau- 
Kohlgrub-Oberammergau,  con- 
nected with  the  Munich-Murnau 
main  line.  Besides  drinking  and 
bathing  in  the  chalybeate  waters, 
there  are  available  ferruginous 
mud  baths,  vapour,  pine-needle, 
artificial  brine,  and  carbonic  acid 
gas  baths,  and  electric  baths.  The 
maladies  chiefly  treated  there  are 
anaemia,  chlorosis,  and  female 
complaints. 


The  season  is  from  May  i  to 
the  middle  of  October. 

Kolberg,  on  the  Baltic,  in  Po- 
merania,  besides  sea  baths,  pos- 
sesses brine  baths  containing  21 -o 
to  51 -o  per  litre  of  common  salt, 
and  smaller  amounts  of  chlorides 
of  magnesium  and  calcium.  Sana- 
toria have  been  established  there 
for  the  treatment  of  scrofulous 
children.  Various  other  thera- 
peutic processes  are  applied 
there. 

Krankenheil-Tolz.  See  Tolz- 
Krankenheil. 

Krapina  Toplitz,  a  simple  ther- 
mal bath  in  Croatia,  at  an  altitude 
of  530  feet,  having  springs  of  a 
temperature  of  99°  to  110°  F. 

Kreuth,  in  the  Bavarian  moun- 
tains, 2,700  feet  above  the  sea, 
has  brine  baths,  the  brine  being 
brought  from  a  distance.  Its  in- 
vigorating, bracing  climate  has, 
probably,  quite  as  great  a  curative 
influence  as  the  brine  baths.  It 
has  also  a  weak  cold  sulphur 
spring  (the  Kreuzquelle),  contain- 
ing lime  salts  chiefly  and  a  little 
H2S,  which  is  used  for  bathing 
and  drinking.  Kreuth  occupies 
a  sheltered  position  in  a  beautiful 
wooded  mountainous  country,  be- 
tween the  Tegernsee  and  the 
Achensee,  two  hours  and  a-halt 
from  the  railway  station  Gmund- 
am-Tegernsee.  Cases  of  anaemia, 
retarded  convalescence,  and  scro- 
fula are  treated  there. 

The  season  is  from  June  i  to 
Sept.  15. 

Krynica,  in  the  Carpathians 
(Galicia),  at  an  altitude  of  2,000 
feet,  has  cold  gaseous  alkaline 
earthy  chalybeate  waters,  used  in 
atonic  dyspepsia,  anaemia,  and 
forms  of  chronic  catarrh. 


La  Malou,  in  the  south  of  France,  at  the  western 
extremity  of  the  Department  of  Herault,  has  a  special 
reputation  for  the  treatment  of  tabes  dorsalis  and 


226  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

other  chronic  affections  of  the  nervous  system.  It 
lies  in  a  narrow  valley,  opening  into  the  valley  of  the 
Orb,  at 'an  elevation  of  650  feet  on  the  southern  slope 
of  the  Cevennes,  with  picturesque  surroundings. 
It  is  a  considerable  distance  from  Paris  (800  kilo- 
metres) and  is  usually  reached  by  the  P.I.M. 
Railway  via  Arvant.  It  has  a  mild  southern  climate, 
tempered  by  refreshing  currents  of  air  from  the 
mountains. 

There  are  three  bath  establishments,  correspond- 
ing with  three  groups  of  springs  named  according  to 
their  situation  :  (i)  La  Malou-le-Bas,  (2)  La  Malou- 
le-Centre,  and  (3)  La  Malou-le-Haut.  These  springs 
may  also  be  divided  into  an  alkaline  group  (Usclade, 
La  Verniere,  Petit  Vichy)  and  a  ferruginous  and 
arsenical  group  (Capus,  Bourges,  Souveraine,  La 
Mine).  Their  temperature  varies  between  104°  F., 
the  hottest,  which  are  used  for  the  baths,  and  80°  F., 
the  coolest,  which  contain  most  carbonic  acid. 

It  is  somewhat  difficult  to  classify  these  springs 
amongst  other  mineral  springs.  The  mineralisation 
of  the  strongest  does  not  exceed  2-15  per  litre,  and 
their  chief  constituents  are  bicarbonates  of  sodium, 
magnesium,  and  iron,  and  arsenate  of  sodium  and 
copper. 

It  is  a  question  whether  they  should  not,  owing 
to  their  feeble  mineralisation,  be  classed  amongst 
what  French  authors  term  "  indeterminate "  springs, 
or  whether  they  should  be  named,  after  their  con- 
stituents, "mixed  bicarbonated."  H.Weber  classifies 
them  amongst  the  chalybeate  waters,  but  they  have 
little  in  common  with  the  typical  members  of  that 
class. 

La  Malou-le-Bas  has  the  most  strongly  mineral- 
ised springs,  especially  in  alkaline  bicarbonates.  One, 
La  Verniere,  a  cold  spring,  is  said  to  contain  per  litre 
sodium  bicarbonate  ri,  calcium  bicarbonate  0*5,  and 
magnesium  bicarbonate  o'2,  as  well  as  a  little  bicar- 
bonate of  iron,  0*014.  It  is  rich  in  carbonic  acid 
gas,  and  is  used  as  a  table  water. 


SECT.  B.]  LA     MALOU.  227 

La  Malou-le-Centre  has  weaker  waters,  but  con- 
taining most  iron.  The  Capus  is  said  to  contain  per 
litre  0*06  bicarbonate  of  iron  and  0*001  sodium 
arsenate.  It  is  much  drunk  by  anaemics. 

La  Malou-le-Haut  has  still  weaker  waters,  the 
mineralisation  not  exceeding  1-50,  but  they  contain 
more  carbonic  acid.  The  Petit  Vichy  has  very 
little  iron,  and  its  1*0  of  solids  consists  chiefly  of 
bicarbonate  of  sodium. 

The  springs  here  mentioned  are  used  for  drinking, 
but  this  is  only  looked  upon  as  an  auxiliary  to  the 
main  treatment,  which  is  bathing. 

Baths  there  are  the  chief  therapeutic  measures — 
natural  vapour  baths— warm  footbaths  with  running 
water — carbonic  acid  baths  and  local  douches— 
piscines  where  many  bathe  together — the  latter  being 
regarded  as  the  most  effectual  of  the  bathing  pro- 
cesses. The  methods  of  hydrotherapy  are  also 
applied — fine-rain  douches,  douches  to  the  lower 
limbs,  dry  massage  and  douche  massage,  electro- 
therapy, a  "  Terrain-kur "  to  train  and  exercise  in 
locomotion,  apparatus  for  mechanical  treatment, 
and  the  application  of  Fraenkel's  treatment  for  the 
re-education  of  the  muscles. 

As  to  the  effects  of  the  internal  use  of  the  waters, 
one  group  (the  iron  and  arsenical)  is  regarded  as 
having  tonic  properties,  the  other  (the  alkaline)  as 
especially  useful  in  correcting  the  visceral  troubles 
which  so  frequently  complicate  diseases  of  the 
nervous  system. 

The  effect  of  the  combined  treatment  is  said  to  be 
the  promotion  of  circulatory  activity  and  the  quicken- 
ing of  oxidation  processes  in  the  tissues  (metabolism), 
so  that  the  excretion  of  urea  is  greatly  augmented. 
A  stimulating  effect  on  the  pelvic  organs  is  especially 
evident,  rousing  the  activity  of  the  generative 
functions,  and  tending  to  restore  impaired  virility. 

This  stimulating  effect  is  followed  by  a  tonic  and 
sedative  one.  At  first  the  painful  sensory  phenomena 
are  sometimes  exaggerated,  so  that  a  period  of 


228  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

excitement  may  be  noted,  and  this  irritant  action  is 
particularly  noted  on  the  skin. 

As  to  the  diseases  in  the  treatment  of  which 
La  Malou  is  specially  indicated,  it  has  already  been 
mentioned  that  diseases  of  the  nervous  system  take 
the  most  prominent  place — affections  of  the  spinal 
cord  mainly,  and  particularly  locomotor  ataxy  or 
tabes.  It  is  most  useful  when  these  affections  have 
a  rheumatic  origin,  or  follow  excessive  fatigue  or 
over- activity,  esj  ecially  of  the  generative  function,  or 
succeed  severe  infective  fevers.  It  is  a  treatment  more 
suitable  to  feeble,  anaemic,  and  neurasthenic  constitu- 
tions than  to  the  robust  and  plethoric. 

In  syphilitic  cases  it  serves  as  an  important  aid  to 
specific  treatment.  Like  all  other  remedial  measures, 
its  utility  depends  on  its  early  application,  and  the 
patients  who  do  well  are  those  who  are  sent  there  on 
the  first  appearance  of  the  symptoms. 

Rheumatic  affections,  including  rheumatoid  ar- 
thritis, are  also  treated  there. 

The  counter  indications  are  somewhat  special  and 
important.  La  Malou  is  unsuitable  to  all  skin  affec- 
tions, to  all  cases  with  hsemorrhagic  tendencies,  to  all 
acute  or  subacute  affections  of  the  genital  organs, 
including  all  forms  of  erotism,  to  nervous  affections 
during  the  inflammatory  period,  as  well  as  to  all 
spinal  maladies  which  have  originated  with  a 
"  stroke,"  congestive,  apoplectiform,  or  aphasic. 

The  season  begins  early  (April  ist)  and  ends  late 
(Oct.  3ist).  The  nervous  cases,  as  a  rule,  take  a 
spring  and  autumn  cure  ;  these  are  the  seasons  that 
suit  them  best.  The  rheumatic  prefer  the  hot 
summer  season.  The  interval  between  the  bathing 
seasons  can  be  occupied  by  treatment  at  the  re- 
educating institution. 

La  Motte  les  Bains  (Isere),  in  a  valley  of 
Dauphine  and  having  a  station  on  the  line  between 
Grenoble  and  La  Mare,  about  twTenty-three  miles  from 
Grenoble,  possesses  two  hot  iveak  common  salt 


SECT.  B.]          LA    MOTTE   LES  BAINS.  220 

springs  (4  grammes  of  sodium  chloride  per  litre), 
containing  also  some  calcium  sulphate  (1*3),  car- 
bonate of  lithium,  silica,  and  a  very  little  sodium 
bromide  (0*02)  and  iodide. 

There  is  only  one  spring,  Le  Puits,  at  present 
utilised.  Its  temperature  is  about  140°  F. 

The  bath  establishment  is  contained  in  the  old 
Chateau,  and  the  price  of  each  room  and  apartment  is 
affixed  inside.  It"  is  situated  at  an  elevation  of  about 
2,000  feet  above  the  sea  in  a  valley  enclosed  by 
mountains.  There  is  a  dense  shady  wood  in  the 
immediate  neighbourhood,  with  numerous  paths, 
affording  admirable  protection  to  promenaders  during 
the  heat  of  the  summer.  The  spring  from  which  the 
water  is  obtained  rises  a  little  distance  below  the 
Chateau,  and  the  water  has  therefore  to  be  pumped 
up  some  283  metres,  and  as  it  loses  heat  in  the 
process,  it  is  again  heated  before  it  is  employed  in 
the  baths.  The  Chateau  includes  the  bath  estab- 
lishment and  the  hotel. 

La  Motte  has  a  mild  mountain  climate,  very  dry, 
bracing,  and  healthy. 

The  Etablissement  is  provided  with  the  usual 
baths  and  douches,  with  a  vaporarium,  salles  d'aspir- 
ation,  etc.  Baths  of  long  duration  are  often  given, 
sometimes  as  long  as  two  hours,  and  vaginal  irri- 
gations are  a  feature  there.  The  water  is  also 
drunk,  the  average  daily  dose  being  from  two  to  four 
glasses.  Its  effect  is  diuretic  and  diaphoretic.  Some 
importance  appears  to  be  attached  to  its  natural 
"  electrisation." 

The  cases  treated  at  La  Motte  are,  in  the  first 
place,  uterine  and  ovarian  affections,  especially 
uterine  fibromata.  2nd.  Rheumatism,  articular  and 
muscular,  rheumatoid  arthritis,  gout,  sciatica.  3rd. 
Scrofulo-tuberculous  affections  of  the  glands,  bones, 
and  joints.  4th.  Traumatic  affections  of  the  bones 
and  joints. 

Finally,  in  young  subjects  with  recent  valvular 
cardiac  lesion  from  acute  rheumatism,  these  waters 


230  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

are  said  to  exert  a  beneficial  influence.  La  Motte 
has  been  termed  a  "  sea  bath  in  the  mountains." 

The  season  is  from  June  ist  to  Sept.  2oth. 

There  is  a  fine  park  at  La  Motte,  and  charming 
excursions  can  be  made  into  the  mountainous  coun- 
try around.  It  has  no  Casino.  The  life  is  quiet,  and 
prices  are  very  moderate. 

It  is  thirteen  hours  from  Paris. 

La  Mouillere  (Besangon)  is  a  strong  cold  salt 
bath,  established  in  the  suburbs  of  Besangon,  and 
accompanied  by  a  variety  of  other  methods  of 
treatment — hydrotherapy  in  a  very  complete  manner, 
with  fresh  and  salt  water,  Russian  and  Moorish 
baths,  massage,  Swedish  and  orthopaedic  gymnastics, 
electricity  in  its  various  modes  of  application,  a 
radioscopic  and  radiographic  institution.  It  is  about 
seven  hours  from  Paris,  in  the  Department  of  the 
Doubs.  It  stands  at  an  elevation  of  780  feet,  and 
has  a  tonic  and  stimulating  climate.  It  has  also  the 
convenience  of  being  close  to  a  large  town.  The 
strong  salt  water  is  brought  underground  from  salt- 
works at  Miserey,  about  four  miles  from  Besangon. 
The  water  contains  298  grammes  of  salts  in  the  litre, 
of  which  283  is  sodium  chloride.  The  other  chlorides 
present  are  magnesium,  potassium,  and  -  calcium 
chloride.  It  also  contain?  sodium  sulphate  and 
0*108  of  potassium  bromide. 

An  ean  mere  is  also  used,  containing  333  grammes 
of  salts  to  the  litre,  including  235  of  sodium  chloride 
and  2*250  of  potassium  bromide.  This  water  is 
rarely  given  internally,  and  then  only  in  very 
small  doses,  and  mixed  with  veal  or  chicken  broth. 
Externally  it  is  used  as  baths,  cold,  tepid,  or 
warm,  and  of  progressive  strength,  with  or  without 
the  addition  of  can  mere  ;  as  tepid  or  hot  douches, 
general  or  local,  and  as  inhalations  and  pulverisations. 

Like  all  such  applications,  it  is  found  usually  to 
be  attended  by  tonic  and  stimulating  effects  on  the 
cutaneous  and  nervous  system,  and  it  thus  promotes 


SECT.  B.]  LAVEY.  231 

organic  changes  and  furthers  nutrition.  The  special 
use  of  La  Mouillere  is  in  the  treatment  of  lymphatic 
and  scrofulo-tuberculous  maladies,  old  surgical  gland- 
ular, osseous,  and  articular  affections,  some  chronic 
diseases  of  the  female  pelvic  organs,  and  especially  of 
uterine  fibroids.  Certain  forms  of  anaemia  are 
benefited,  and  such  diseases  of  the  nervous  system 
as  infantile  paralysis,  chronic  chorea,  etc.  It  is 
specially  useful  to  feeble,  rickety  children. 

The  season  is  from  May  to  September,  but  the 
bath  establishment  is  open  all  the  year  round. 

Lavey,  in  Switzerland,  in  the  Rhone  Valley,  at  an 
elevation  of  1,350  feet,  near  the  eastern  extremity  of 
the  Lake  of  Geneva,  and  about  a  mile  from  St. 
Maurice  Station,  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  has 
weak  thermal  sulphur  waters,  and  utilises  also  the 
eau  meres  from  the  neighbouring  "salines"  or  salt 
works  at  Bex,  and  also  prepares  sand  baths  from  the 
sand  which  accumulates  on  the  adjacent  banks  of  the 
Rhone.  Hydrotherapy,  too,  is  employed. 

The  sulphur  source,  which  is  used  for  baths, 
drinking,  and  pulverisation,  has  a  temperature  of 
124°  F.,  and  is  very  feebly  mineralised,  1-312  solids  per 
litre,  which  are  composed  chiefly  of  sodium,  sulphate, 
and  chloride,  salts  of  lime  and  magnesium  in  small 
amounts,  and  minute  quantities  of  potassium  and 
lithium.  It  contains  also  free  sulphuretted  hydrogen, 
carbonic  acid,  and  nitrogen  gases. 

The  caux  meres  are  mixed  with  the  sulphur 
water,  and  modified  artificially  and  pharmaceutically 
in  various  ways  at  Lavey  for  internal  use,  so  as  to 
provide  five  different  kinds  of  drinking  waters ! 
They  are  also  mixed  with  the  thermal  sulphur  water 
for  baths,  etc. 

The  sand  baths  are  prepared  by  heating  the 
sand  in  a  special  manner,  and  are  applied  either  as 
an  entire  bath  or  locally,  the  temperature  varying 
from  113°  to  140°  F.  They  are  said  to  be  well 
borne  at  a  high  temperature,  and  usually  cause  very 


232  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

free  perspiration.  The  maladies  most  suitable  for 
treatment  at  Lavey  are  all  forms  of  scrofulous 
affections,  rickets,  chronic  rheumatism,  certain  skin 
affections,  as  moist  eczema,  lichen,  chronic  urticaria, 
slowly  healing  wounds  (traumatic  and  surgical),  and 
some  chronic  catarrhal  affections,  cystic,  vaginal, 
bronchial. 

The  season  is  from  May  i5th  to  Sept.  3oth. 

Leamington. — This  well-known,  pleasant,  and 
fashionable  resort  in  the  Midlands,  easily  reached 
from  London  in  about  three  hours,  and  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  interesting  and  historical  scenes, 
has  important  mineral  waters. 

Four  mineral  springs  are  at  present  in  use,  and 
they  may  be  classified  amongst  the  cold  common  salt 
and  alkaline  sulphate  waters.  But  there  still  appears 
to  exist  a  little  confusion  as  to  the  precise  composi- 
tion of  the  spring  used  for  drinking,  especially  as  to 
the  presence  of  calcium  chloride,  some  placing  stress 
on  its  presence  in  considerable  amount,  others 
denying  its  presence  altogether.  The  analyses  pub- 
lished .  by  Brazier  in  1885  make  no  mention  of 
calcium  chloride  ;  but  its  presence,  though  not  its 
amount,  is  suggested  in  the  analysis  of  Bostock-Hill 
in  1890.  The  amount  of  sodium  chloride  appears  to 
be  fairly  constant  in  the  several  springs,  and  to  be 
about  8*5  grammes  per  litre,  the  sodium  sulphate  1-2, 
calcium  sulphate  2-0,  and  magnesium  sulphate  0*87. 
A  minute  amount  of  carbonate  of  iron  also  appears 
to  be  present. 

The  water  is  diuretic  in  small  quantities,  and 
aperient  in  large  ones  of  a  pint  or  more.  It  is  usually 
prescribed  to  be  taken  warmed  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, in  two  doses  of  ten  ounces  each,  at  half  an 
hour's  interval,  which  should  be  spent  in  a  promenade 
in  the  adjacent  Jephson  Gardens,  a  great  boon  to  the 
visitors  at  Leamington.  The  waters  are  served  out 
to  the  visitors  in  a  large  pump-room.  The  water  can 
be  obtained  aerated  in  bottles.  In  the  bath  estab- 


SECT.  B.j  LEAMINGTON— LENK.  233 

lishment  there  are  comfortable  immersion  baths  and 
reclining  baths,  with  dressing-rooms.  The  baths  are 
given  usually  at  the  temperature  of  about  100°  F. 
Special  douching  apartments  are  provided  where  the 
Aix  douche  massage  is  applied.  Various  other  forms 
of  douche  can  also  be  obtained.  Cheap  baths  for  the 
poor  are  provided.  There  are  also  large  swimming 
baths  of  fresh  water  adjacent.  Turkish,  sulphur, 
pine,  and  other  medicated  baths  are  available,  as  are 
also  wet  and  dry  packs  and  electrical  treatment. 

The  following  are  the  cases  reported  to  be 
benefited  by  treatment  at  Leamington  :  Congestion 
and  enlargement  of  liver  induced  by  residence  in  hot 
climates,  cases  of  dyspepsia  and  hepatic  congestion 
from  free  living,  chronic  gout,  chronic  rheumatism, 
sciatica,  especially  when  of  gouty  origin,  scrofulous 
maladies,  the  constipation  accompanying  chlorosis 
(iron  is  then  added  to  the  water),  chronic  eczema  and 
psoriasis  in  gouty  subjects,  the  gouty  form  of 
glycosuria,  uric  acid  gravel,  some  female  maladies, 
surgical  joint  affections  treated  by  local  douches  with 
massage. 

The  best  season  for  the  cure  is  from  April  to 
October,  but  the  baths  are  open  all  the  year  round. 

Lenk,  or  La  Lenk,  in  the  Canton  of  Berne, 
Switzerland,  is  situated  at  the  upper  end  of  the 
Simmenthal,  and  has  two  cold  calcareous  sulphur 
springs  and  a  weak  earthy  chalybeate  spring.  The 
bath-house  is  half  a  mile  from  the  village,  higher 
(3,630  feet),  and  more  sheltered.  It  commands  a 
fine  view  of  the  glaciers  of  the  Wildstrubel.  The 
stronger  of  its  two  springs,  the  Balmquelle,  is  said  to 
be  the  strongest  sulphur  water  in  Switzerland ;  it  is 
brought  from  its  source  to  the  baths  in  pipes,  and  is 
reported  to  contain  per  litre  r6  of  calcium  sulphate 
and  44-5  vols  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen. 

The  chalybeate  spring,  which  is  sometimes  drunk 
as  a  table  water,  contains  only  0*01  of  bicarbonate 
of  iron. 


i34  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  t. 

Lenk  is  said  to  be  warmer  than  most  Swiss 
resorts  at  the  same  altitude,  on  account  of  the 
stillness  of  its  atmosphere  and  the  heat  radiated  from 
the  mountains  around. 

Shady  walks,  protecting  from  the  midday  sun, 
can  be  obtained  in  the  adjacent  pine  woods. 

The  waters  are  used  for  baths,  douches,  and 
pulverisations  ;  inhalations  of  cold  dry  H2S  gas  are 
also  provided. 

The  cases  treated  there  are  chronic  catarrh  of  the 
respiratory  passages,  eczema,  torpid  forms  of  early 
phthisis,  gastro-intestinal  catarrhs  with  chronic 
obstinate  diarrhoea,  skin  diseases,  chronic  moist 
eczema,  acne,  furunculi,  scrofula,  especially  the  scrofu- 
lous affections  of  the  naso-pharyngeal  mucous 
membranes  in  children. 

The  season  is  from  June  1 5th  to  Sept  3oth.  It 
is  usually  approached  from  Thun  by  carriage  or 
diligence,  a  distance  of  thirty-four  miles. 

Leukerbad,  or  Loeche  les  Bains,  in  the  Canton 
of  Valais,  Switzerland,  finely  situated  at  the  southern 
foot  of  the  Gemmi  Pass,  at  an  altitude  of  4,600  feet, 
has  thermal  springs,  which  may  be  classed  either 
with  the  simple  thermal  waters  or  with  the  calcareous 
or  earthy  waters.  The  nearest  railway  station  is 
that  of  Loueche-la-Souste,  in  the  Rhone  Valley, 
from  which  it  is  a  drive  of  three  and  a-half  hours  to 
the  baths.  Its  climate  is  variable,  much  exposed 
to  sun  heat  in  the  day,  very  cold  at  night,  and 
subject  to  great  variations  of  temperature.  September 
is  the  finest  month. 

There  are  several  hot  springs  there,  but  only  a 
few  are  used,  the  temperature  of  which  varies  from 
102°  to  124°  F.  Their  mineralisation  amounts  to 
1*9  of  solids  per  litre,  of  which  1*4  is  calcium 
sulphate. 

There  are  several  bathing  establishments  com- 
municating with  the  hotels,  and  there  is  also  an 
establishment  for  hydrotherapy.  The  water  is  drunk 


SECT.  B.]  LEU  KERB  AD.  235 

as  an  auxiliary  to  the  bathing,  which  is  the  chief 
curative  agent. 

The  baths  are  for  the  most  part  taken  in 
piscines,  where  a  number  of  persons  bathe  together. 
They  are  prescribed  either  as  short  baths — i.e.  of 
the  usual  duration — or  as  prolonged  baths  of  two  to 
six  hours  or  more. 

These  prolonged  baths  are  special  to  Loache.  It 
is  usual  before  taking  them  for  visitors  to  wait  a  day 
or  two  until  the  fatigue  of  the  journey  has  passed  off 
arid  they  have  become  somewhat  acclimatised.  The 
temperature  of  these  baths  is  from  93°  to  95°  F. 
The  patients,  clad  in  suitable  garments,  bathe 
together  in  a  large  bath  in  common,  a  partition 
separating  the  sexes.  There  they  amuse  themselves 
by  reading  or  playing  games  of  chess,  dominoes,  etc., 
and  light  refreshments  are  served  on  floating  tables. 

Usually  on  the  tenth  or  eleventh  day  a  'poussee 
or  eruption  appears  on  the  skin,  a  sort  of  dermatitis, 
which  may  vary  in  severity,  and  be  attended  with 
feverishness  and  loss  of  appetite.  This  usually  lasts 
from  ten  to  fourteen  days. 

The  short  baths  have  a  sedative  effect,  and, 
combined  with  tlie  tonic  climate,  are  useful  in 
functional  affections  of  the  nervous  system,  and  in 
the  same  class  of  cases  as  are  appropriate  to  simple 
thermal  baths. 

The  prolonged  baths  are,  in  the  first  place, 
especially  indicated  in  certain  chronic,  inveterate 
cutaneous  diseases,  dry  eczema,  lichen,  psoriasis, 
chronic  urticaria,  acne,  boils.  In  some  of  these 
amelioration  is  all  that  can  be  hoped  for. 

In  the  second  place,  cases  of  chronic  rheumatism 
and  gout,  the  baths  being  combined  with  douche 
massage. 

Thirdly,  stiff  joints  and  surgical  contractures, 
rheumatic  paralysis ;  for  the  absorption  of  old 
inflammatory  exudations  and  the  results  of  phlebitis ; 
affections  of  the  pelvic  viscera,  accompanied  with  neu- 
ralgia ;  as  an  auxiliary  to  specific  treatment  in  syphilis. 


236  MINERAL    SPRINGS:  [PART  i. 

The  season  is  from  June  ist  to  Sept.  3oth, 
but  the  best  months  for  this  treatment  are  July 
and  August. 

Levico,  in  the  Austrian  Tyrol,  has  a  water  which 
contains  a  large  quantity  of  sulphate  of  iron,  a  small 
amount  of  sulphate  of  copper,  some  arsenious  acid 
and  a  little  free  sulphuric  acid,  and  other  less  im- 
portant constituents. 

The  village  of  Levico  is  approached  from  Trente, 
a  station  on  the  Brenner  line,  from  which  it  is  a 
beautiful  drive  of  about  three  hours. 

The  waters  of  Levico  are  of  two  strengths,  and 
are  known  as  the  "  strong  "  water  and  the  "  weak  " 
water.  Both  springs  arise  at  some  distance  from 
Levico  in  the  grottoes  of  Vitriolo,  on  the  southern 
slope  of  Monte  Fronte,  at  an  altitude  of  about 
4,900  feet,  where  is  a  small  bath  establishment. 

The  "strong"  water  contains  3*8  grammes  per 
litre  of  sulphate  of  iron,  0*047  sulphate  of  copper, 
0*62  sulphate  of  aluminium,  and  0*0086  of  arsenious 
acid.  Roughly  estimated,  there  is  about  J  of  a 
grain  of  arsenious  acid  to  a  quart "  of  the  strong 
water.  The  usual  dose  is  one  to  three  tablespoon- 
fuls,  often  gradually  increased  to  four  or  six,  after 
meals,  twice  or  thrice  daily.  At  the  commencement 
of  the  treatment  it  is  often  diluted  with  the  weaker 
water. 

The  "  weak  "  water  is  very  much  weaker,  and  con- 
tains only  0-9  per  litre  of  sulphate  of  iron,  0-005  °f 
sulphate  of  copper,  and  0-0009  of  arsenious  acid. 
This  water  is  often  mixed  with  wine  or  beer  and 
drunk  at  meals. 

The  baths  are  prepared  with  the  "  weak  "  water 
diluted  at  first  with  two-thirds  and  afterwards  with 
one-third  ordinary  water.  They  are  given  at  a 
temperature  of  about  90°  F.,  and  their  duration  is, 
at  the  outside,  half  an  hour.  The  muddy  ferruginous 
deposit  at  the  source  is  also  employed  for  baths 
and  local  applications. 


SECT.  B.I  LIPPSPRINGE.  237 

The  effect  of  these  waters  when  drunk  is  tonic 
and  restorative,  and  they  are  prescribed  in  cases  of 
general  debility  and  retarded  convalescence,  in  ob- 
stinate cases  of  anaemia  and  chlorosis,  in  neurasthenia, 
in  the  malarial  cachexia,  in  certain  skin  affections, 
and  locally  in  catarrhal  uterine  affections.  The 
proportion  of  female  patients  to  male  at  Levico  is 
that  of  three  to  one.  Delicate  children  are  said  to 
do  well  there.  The  water  is  exported  largely. 

The  season  is  from  June  ist  to  Sept.  3oth. 

Lippspringe,  in  Westphalia,  an  hour's  drive  from 
the  railway  station  of  Paderborn,  on  the  line  between 
Soest  and  Holzminden,  has  earthy  calcareous  waters 
containing  much  free  nitrogen  gas.  It  lies  at  an 
altitude  of  450  feet  on  the  south-western  slope  of  the 
Teutoberger  Wald,  close  to  pleasing  woodlands,  and 
protected  by  mountains  from  northerly  winds.  Its 
climate  is  mild  and  sedative,  somewhat  humid,  and 
with  an  equable  temperature.  The  waters  are  weak 
earthy  ones,  the  Arminiusquelle,  containing  2-4 
grammes  of  solids  per  litre,  of  which  1*4  is  composed 
of  equal  parts  of  calcium  and  sodium  sulphate  ;  there 
are  smaller  amounts  of  magnesium  and  calcium  car- 
bonates, magnesium  chloride,  and  bicarbonate  of  iron. 

A  speciality  of  this  spa  is  the  inhalation  of  the 
gases  given  off  by  the  waters  of  the  Arminius- 
quelle, which  are  passed  over  "  graduation  works  " 
to  liberate  the  gases.  Of  these  83  per  cent,  consists 
of  nitrogen,  and  the  rest  is  chiefly  carbonic  acid. 
Besides  the  inhalation  of  nitrogen  gas,  these  waters 
are  used  for  drinking  and  bathing. 

The  diseases  treated  there  are  mainly  chronic 
bronchitis,  chronic  unabsorbed  pleuritic  exudations, 
and  chronic  phthisis,  spasmodic  asthma,  and  some 
forms  of  intestinal  catarrh  with  diarrhoea. 

The  season  is  from  May  i5th  to  Sept. 


Lisdoonvarna,  in  the  county  of  Clare,  Ireland, 
eight  miles  from  Ennistymon  —  the  nearest  railway 


238  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

station — possesses  cold  alkaline  sulphur  and  chaly- 
beate springs,  and  is  the  most  popular  spa  in  Ireland. 
It  is  situated  about  three  miles  from  the  Atlantic 
coast  in  the  north  of  Clare,  and  stands  on  high 
ground  (altitude  430  feet),  but  sheltered  on  the 
land  side  by  an  extensive  high  plateau. 

The  mosj:  important  spring  is  the  Gowlawn 
sulphur  spring  ;  it  is  feebly  mineralised  and  contains 
a  variable  amount  of  H2S,  the  average  quantity 
being  4*14  c.c.  per  litre,  and  about  0*328  grammes 
of  solids,  the  chief  being  the  alkaline  and  earthy 
bicarbonates  of  sodium,  calcium,  and  magnesium ; 
also  some  sodium  chloride,  a  trace  of  lithium,  and 
minute  amounts  of  other  unimportant  constituents. 
This  spring  is  diuretic  and  constipating.  Another 
sulphur  spring  of  minor  interest  is  the  "  Twin  "  spring 
—it  resembles  the  preceding  in  mineral  constituents, 
but  is  much  less  strongly  charged  with  H2S.  A 
few  persons  drink  it  at  its  source,  but  it  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  officially  utilised. 

The  chalybeate  wells  are  on  the  other  side  of 
the  village.  The  chief  of  these,  the  'Rathbawn, 
contains  ferrous  carbonate  (about  0*034  Per  litre), 
the  other  solids  are  mainly  calcium  sulphate  and 
carbonate,  magnesium  carbonate,  and  sodium 
chloride,  but  the  total  mineralisation  is  less  than 
0*4  per  litre. 

Patients  drink  from  one  to  four  pints  of  the  sul- 
phur water  daily,  and  it  is  said  to  be  found  useful  in 
cases  of  atonic  dyspepsia,  gastric  catarrh,  and  gout. 
A  small  public  garden  surrounds  this  spa.  The 
water  is  warmed  for  the  baths. 

There  are  three  or  four  hotels  besides  lodging- 
houses. 

The  season  is  from  May  to  October. 

Llandrindod  Wells,  in  Radnorshire,  mid-Wales, 
has  mineral  springs  of  three  kinds — common  salt 
or  saline  springs,  sulphur  and  salt  springs,  and 
chalybeate  springs.  It  seems  certain  that  one  of 


SECT.  B.]  LLANDRINDOD    WELLS.  239 

these  springs  has  been  known  for  three  centuries, 
and  that  its  local  reputation  as  a  curative  agent  is 
of  ancient  date.  But  this  spa  has  of  late  years 
undergone  a  great  development,  and  has  rapidly 
acquired  a  wide-spread  popularity.  It  can  be  reached 
from  London  in  a  little  over  five  hours. 

The  situation  and  climate  of  Llandrindod  has 
much  to  recommend  it.  It  has  an  altitude  of  700 
feet  at  its  highest  part,  and  lies  in  the  centre  of  a 
wide  plateau.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  healthy 
and  bracing  climatic  conditions  aid  greatly  the  curative 
effects  of  the-  natural  springs. 

Perhaps  the  most  important  of  the  springs  is 
the  saline  or  common  salt  spring.  As  its  name 
implies  its  chief  constituent  is  sodium  chloride,  about 
4*8  grammes  per  litre  ;  it  also  contains  other 
chlorides,  of  which  the  chief  is  calcium  chloride, 
about  1*0  per  litre  ;  there  are  small  amounts  of  potas- 
sium and  magnesium  chloride,  and  a  "  strong  trace  " 
of  lithium  chloride. 

These  saline  waters  are  found  to  be  diuretic 
or  laxative,  according  to  the  quantity  taken.  The 
cases  in  which  they  are  prescribed  are  atonic 
dyspepsia,  hepatic  cirrhosis  in  its  early  stage, 
and  cases  of  "drink  craving";  jaundice,  catarrhal 
and  obstructive  ;  hepatic  and  splenic  enlargements, 
dietetic  or  malarial ;  chronic  constipation  and  haemor- 
rhoids, intestinal  parasites,  glycosuria,  especially  the 
gouty  form ;  obesity.  It  is  combined  with  the  use 
of  the  sulphur  springs  in  gouty  and  rheumatic  states 
associated  with  hepatic  inadequacy ;  in  the  early 
stage  of  rheumatoid  arthritis,  in  lumbago  and  sciatica. 

The  common  salt  and  sulphur  springs  contain 
precisely  the  same  ingredients  as  the  saline  springs, 
but  in  smaller  amount ;  they  are  weaker  waters, 
but  they  possess,  as  their  name  implies,  sulphur  in 
the  form  of  free  sulphuretted  hydrogen  gas  ;  which 
appears  to  vary  considerably  in  quantity  in  the 
different  springs. 

These  waters  are  reported  to  exercise  a  stimulating 


240  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

effect  on  the  skin  and  mucous  membranes ;  they 
are  prescribed  in  cases  of  gastro-intestinal  catarrh 
with  a  tendency  to  diarrhoea ;  in  some  cases 
of  chronic  cystitis,  and  in  scrofulous,  glandular, 
and  other  affections,  combined  with  the  chalybeate 
spring ;  but  their  more  especial  use  is  in  cutaneous 
affections,  externally  and  internally,  as  in  acute 
and  chronic  eczema,  prurigo,  lichen,  urticaria,  acne, 
and  some  forms  of  psoriasis.  They  are  used  in 
the  form  of  hot  baths  and  douches. 

Finally,  there  is  the  chalybeate  spring ;  this 
also  contains  the  same  chlorides  as  the  -other  springs 
(indeed,  all  these  springs  are  of  the  same  type  and 
constitution,  and  differ  only  quantitatively),  but  is 
richer  in  iron,  containing  o'oiS  per  litre  of  carbonate 
of  iron,  and  no  free  carbonic  acid  ;  so  that,  compared 
with  other  so-called  chalybeate  springs,  it  must  be 
regarded  as  a  very  zveak  one.  It  is  said  to  prove 
useful  in  cases  of  anaemia  and  chlorosis,  especially 
when  associated  with  constipation  and  torpid  liver, 
or  with  amenorrhcea,  and  in  cases  of  retarded  con- 
valescence. 

Some  forms  of  neurasthenia,  chorea,  and  neuralgia 
are  benefited  by  the  bracing  air  and  the  quiet  out- 
of-door  life,  combined  with  the  use  of  the  mineral 
waters  in  shower  baths  and  douches. 

It  is  usual  at  Llandrindod  to  prescribe  the 
"saline"  water  to  be  taken  before  breakfast, 
between  6  and  8  a.m.,  often  artificially  warmed. 
The  sulphur  water  is  taken  cold  in  the  forenoon 
or  afternoon,  or  both. 

The  season  is  from  May  to  October,  but  the 
favourite  months  are  July,  August,  and  September. 
It  is  apt  to  be  over-crowded  in  the  height  of  the 
summer.  May  and  June  are  said  to  be  the  best 
months  for  those  needing  treatment. 

Llangammarch,  in  Breconshire,  Wales,  five  hours 
and  three-quarters  from  London,  with  a  station  on  the 
line  of  railway  between  Llandrindod  and  Llanwrtyd, 


SECT.  B.]  LLANWRTYD    WELLS.  241 

has  cold  common  salt  waters  containing  an  unusual 
ingredient  in  mineral  waters,  barium  chloride  ! 

It  also  contains  calcium  and  magnesium  chlorides. 
These  constituents  exist  in  the  following  proportions 
per  litre  of  the  mineral  spring — sodium  chloride 
2*6  grammes,  calcium  chloride  1*2,  magnesium 
chloride  0*3,  and  barium  chloride  0*096. 

The  presence  of  barium  chloride  is  considered  to 
render  this  water  valuable  as  a  cardiac  tonic,  as 
this  salt  is  said  to  reduce  the  frequency  and  increase 
the  strength  of  the  cardiac  contractions. 

The  calcium  chloride  is  also  regarded  as  an 
important  constituent  on  account  of  its  reputation 
in  the  treatment  of  chronic  glandular  enlargements. 

The  water  is  exported,  either  artificially  aerated 
or  unaerated. 

The  situation  of  Llangammarch  is  a  pleasant 
one,  at  an  elevation  of  600  feet,  in  an  open  valley 
with  some  shelter  from  the  north  and  east  winds. 
The  air  is  said  to  be  fresh  and  exhilarating.  The 
waters  are  used  internally  and  for  baths  and  douches 
in  a  well-appointed  modern  hotel  and  bath-house. 

The  treatment  there  is  recommended  in  some 
forms  of  dyspepsia  and  neurasthenia,  and  in  chronic 
gout  and  rheumatism.  Cases  of  cardiac  asthenia 
are  treated  there  after  the  Nauheim  method,  with 
artificial  gaseous  saline  baths. 

This  water  is  said  to  have  a  marked  influence 
in  promoting  the  excretion  of  uric  acid*;  hence 
its  observed  value  in  relieving  chronic  gouty  arthritis. 

Llanwrtyd  Wells,  in  Breconshire,  Wales,  six 
hours  from  London,  is  situated  on  the  line 
of  railway  between  Llandovery  and  Llandrin- 
dod.  The  principal  hotel,  "  Dolecoid  House,"  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  springs,  is  some  distance  from 
the  station  and  the  village.  It  has  cold  sulphur 

*  Jones    and    Russell :    Brit.   Med.   Journal,    March   25th. 
1899. 


242  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

waters  and  a  weak  chalybeate  spring.  The  springs 
are  situated  at  an  elevation  of  800  feet,  at  the 
entrance  of  a  small  valley ;  the  surrounding  country 
being  "  open,  airy  upland."  The  climate  is  fairly 
bracing.  The  special  character  of  the  sulphur  spring 
is  its  small  contents  of  chlorides  as  compared  with 
some  other  "  sulphur  "  springs,  and  that,  as  it  flows 
from  its  source  in  a  very  strong  stream,  the  H2S 
escapes  very  rapidly,  and  unless  the  water  is  at 
once  drunk,  much  of  this  gas  is  lost ;  hence  it  is 
urged  that  "no  analysis  can  do  full  justice  to  the 
water."  Its  solid  content  scarcely  exceeds  ro  gramme 
per  litre,  and  this  is  chiefly  sodium  chloride.  It  is 
difficult,  for  the  reason  already  stated,  to  estimate 
accurately  the  amount  of  H2S. 

The  chalybeate  spring  is  also  very  feebly  mineral- 
ised, containing  only  o'on  of  carbonate  of  iron  per 
litre.  The  Builth  saline  water  is  also  drunk  there. 

The  cases  found  suitable  for  treatment  there  are 
reported  to  be  those  of  chronic  gout  and  rheumatism, 
bronchial  catarrh,  overwork,  and  neurasthenia ; 
anaemia  and  gastro-hepatic  disorders,  certain  chronic 
skin  affections,  as  eczema  and  psoriasis,  and  some 
forms  of  urinary  troubles,  renal  calculus,  etc.  The 
hotel  accommodation  and  the  bathing  arrangements 
have  been  greatly  improved  of  late  years  and  com- 
pletely modernised. 

The  season  is  from  May  to  September. 

Lucan,  Ireland,  eight  miles  west  of  Dublin,  in  the 
valley  of  the  Liffey,  has  a  well-known  sulphur  spring 
containing  free  sulphuretted  hydrogen.  The  spring 
is  situated  about  half  a  mile  to  the  west  of  the  town, 
and  close  to  it  there  is  a  commodious  modern  hotel 
and  sanatorium.  This  building  stands  on  high 
ground  on  the  south  side  of  the  river  in  a  more 
bracing  situation  than  the  town  of  Lucan.  The 
Leixlip  spa  is  about  two  miles  distant  further  up  the 
river. 

The  spring  at  Lucan  has  been  found  very  bene- 


SECT    B.I  LUCCA.  w    243 

licial  in  the  treatment  of  certain  forms  of  cutaneous 
disease  as  well  as,  according  to  Sir  Dominic  Corrigan, 
in  cases  of  chronic  rheumatism  and  gout.  Its  water 
is  said  to  resemble  much  in  its  properties,  chemical 
and  therapeutic,  that  of  Lisdoonvarna. 

Lucca  (Bagni  di  Lucca),  Italy. —  Thermal  calcareous 
baths  of  very  ancient  renown  are  situated  about 
fifteen  miles  to  the  north  of  the  town  of  this  name 
at  the  foot  of  the  Apennines,  in  a  beautiful  valley,  at 
an  altitude  varying  from  400  to  1,000  feet.  They 
are  approached  usually  by  a  branch  line  which  runs 
from  Viareggio  to  Ponte-a-Moriano,  and  thence  there 
is  a  fine  carriage  drive  of  an  hour  and  a-half  up  a  very 
beautiful  valley  to  the  baths.  The  Bagni  di  Lucca 
consist  of  three  villages  ;  the  first  of  those  reached 
by  the  visitor  is  Ponte  Seraglio  and  is  about  400  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea  ;  here  there  are  a  "  Royal " 
casino,  good  hotels,  and  a  hospital  with  accommoda% 
tion  for  54  poor  patients.  Higher  up  the  valley,  at 
an  altitude  of  1,000  feet,  is  Bagni  Caldi,  where  the 
principal  bathing  establishment  is  found,  with  the 
famous  grotto  containing  the  nalural  mineral  water, 
vapour  and  mud  baths.  Here  is  the  "  Grand  Hotel 
des  Thermes,"  a  converted  grand-ducal  residence. 
The  third  village,  and  the  most  beautiful  of  the 
three  is  Villa  ;  it  is  lower  than  Bagni  Caldi  and  only 
500  feet  above  the  sea.  Here  also  there  are  several 
hotels  and  furnished  villas  and  apartments  and  an 
English  church  ;  and  it  is,  perhaps,  more  English  than 
either  of  the  other  two  villages. 

The  thermal  springs  vary  in  temperature  from 
98°  to  129°  F. ;  that  of  Bagni  Caldi  is  the  hottest, 
and  it  is  there  that  the  natural  vapour  and  mud  baths 
(consisting  of  the  deposit  from  the  waters)  are 
taken.  Douche-massage  after  the  Aix  method 
and  other  douches  are  given  there.  The  waters 
contain  from  2  to  3  grammes  per  litre  of  solids,  the 
chief  of  which  is  calcium  sulphate  (175)  and  sodium 
sulphate  (075) ;  there  are  also  small  amounts  of 


244     „  MINERAL    SPRINGS  [PART  i. 

magnesium  and  sodium  chloride.  There  are  four 
other  principal  thermal  springs,  each  of  which  has  its 
own  bath  establishment.  The  Bernabo,  temperature 
103-5°  FV  is  used  chiefly  for  skin  diseases  ;  the  Docce 
Basse,  105°  F.,  is  used  chiefly  for  internal  douches ; 
the  San  Giovanni,  the  coolest  (98°  F.),  is  applied  to 
the  treatment  of  nervous  affections,  and  Villa,  tem- 
perature 102°  F.,  is  chiefly  used  internally,  and  mainly 
for  renal  maladies. 

The  cases  treated  at  Lucca  are  the  following  : 
the  waters  are  prescribed  internally  in  renal  calculus, 
gravel  and  vesical  catarrh,  atonic  gout,  and  some 
forms  of  gastralgia.  Externally  they  are  employed 
in  gouty  and  rheumatic  arthritis,  myalgia,  osteo- 
arthritis,  neuralgia  and  neuritis,  sciatica,  etc.;  for 
their  sedative  effect  in  locomotor  ataxy,  in  ovarian 
forms  of  dysmenorrhoea,  in  eczema,  psoriasis,  painful 
cicatrices  and  slowly  healing  ulcers. 

The  baths  of  Lucca  have  been  recommended  as  a 
transitional  resort  for  those  who  have  wintered  in 
the  Riviera  and  are  returning  northward. 

The  cost  of  living  is  represented  as  very  moderate 
there. 

The  season  is  from  May  ist  to  Sept.  15111. 

Luchon,  or  Bagneres  de  Luchon  (Pyrenees),  is 
usually  approached  from  Toulouse  by  a  railway 
journey  of  about  three  hours,  passing  by  Montrejeau. 
Soon  after  leaving  Montrejeau  the  railway  crosses 
the  Garonne  and  enters  the  department  of  the 
Hautes  Pyrenees. 

The  valley  narrows,  and  from  time  to  time 
some  lofty  peaks  appear  in  the  distance.  Just 
beyond  the  confluence  of  the  Pique  with  the  Garonne 
the  railway  again  crosses  the  latter,  leaves  the  valley 
of  the  Garonne  to  the  left,  and  enters  the  beautiful 
valley  of  Luchon.  The  journey  from  Paris  usually 
takes  fifteen  hours,  but  the  "  Luchon  express,"  which 
runs  twice  or  thrice  a  week  in  the  season,  does  the 
journey  in  thirteen  hours. 


SECT.  B.]  LUCHON.  245 

"  It  is  a  pleasure/'  says  M.  Taine,  "  to  be  ill  at 
Luchon."  Without  going  quite  so  far  as  this,  one 
may  certainly  say  that  it  must  be  a  great  pleasure  to 
be  cured  in  such  a  place.  Luchon  is  decidedly  a 
town  of  pleasure.  Everything  is  arranged  to  make 
life  look  agreeable.  Art  and  nature  combine  to 
produce  a  mise-en-schie  which  is  quite  irreproachable. 
On  each  side  rise  immense  mountains  richly  wooded 
to  their  very  tops,  and  the  valley  is  closed  in  by  • 
inaccessible  rocky  peaks,  remarkable  both  for  beauty 
of  form  and  richness  of  colouring.  Between  the 
mountains  the  floor  of  the  valley  is  literally  an  in- 
habited park  and  garden.  Broad  avenues  of  houses 
are  partly  concealed  and  shaded  by  double  avenues 
of  trees. 

Luchon  is  admitted  to  be  the  queen  of  Pyrenean 
health  resorts  ;  and  stands  pre-eminent  in  all  respects 
for  the  abundance  and  variety  of  its  springs,  the 
quantity  of  water  they  afford,  their  composition  and 
range  of  temperature.  It  is  situated  at  an  elevation 
of  over  2,000  feet  above  the  sea,  has  a  mild  climate, 
and  in  the  months  of  May,  June,  and  September 
a  fresh  and  somewhat  bracing  air.  In  July  and 
August  it  can  be  very  hot,  and  it  is  during  these 
months  that  it  is  crowded  with  Parisians  and 
Spanish ;  but  even  in  August  the  mornings  and 
evenings  are  often  deliriously  fresh. 

The  springs  of  Luchon,  like  those  of  most  of 
the  Pyrenean  spas,  are  sulphur  springs  ;  but  it  is 
claimed  especially  for  Luchon  that  owing  to  the 
great  number  of  its  sources  (it  has  forty-eight 
principal  springs),  the  great  quantity  of  water  they 
yield,  and  the  variations  in  their  composition  and 
temperature,  it  is  possible  there,  by  having  recourse 
to  one  spring  after  another,  and  by  blending  different 
springs,  or  by  the  mere  extent  of  choice,  to  vary 
and  graduate  and  adapt  the  treatment  to  a  great 
variety  of  cases  and  every  kind  of  constitution  and 
temperament. 

The  waters  have  the  well-known  smell  and  taste 


246  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

of  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  but  chemical  analysis 
shows  that  there  is  but  a  small  quantity  of  this 
gas  in  them.  The  chief  amount  of  sulphur  which 
they  contain  is  in  combination  with  sodium,  as 
sodium  sulphide.  There  is  no  doubt,  however,  that 
a  considerable  quantity  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen 
is  given  off  from  the  surface  of  the  water  in  the 
baths,  and  the  air  over  the  large  piscines  contains 
quite  i  per  cent,  of  this  gas,  so  that  breathing 
this  air  for  an  hour  at  a  time,  while  floating  about 
in  the  water,  may  certainly  have  a  decided  thera- 
peutic effect.  The  s^ilphur  compounds  in  some  of 
the  springs  readily  undergo  decomposition  (become 
what  are  termed  eaux  degcnerees)  either  on  exposure 
to  the  air  or  when  mixed  with  cold  water,  and  they 
then  become  milky  from  the  presence  of  precipitated 
sulphur,  This  also  is  thought  a  valuable  property, 
especially  in  the  treatment  of  some  forms  of  skin 
disease.  The  waters  have  an  alkaline  reaction,  and 
a  pleasant,  soft  feeling  to  the  skin.  Besides  other 
mineral  constituents  to  which  little  importance  is 
attached,  they  contain  organic  matter  (baregine), 
which  is  found  deposited,  often  in  combination  with 
sulphur,  in  the  reservoirs  and  conduits  of  the  water. 
There  exist  also  some  iron  springs  in  the  environs 
of  Luchon  ;  the  principal  one,  and  the  best  and 
pleasantest,  on  account  of  the  carbonic  acid  it 
contains,  is  that  at  Sourrouille.  Some  persons  drink 
it  at  table  mixed  with  wine. 

The  springs  at  Luchon  are  so  numerous  that  it  has 
been  found  convenient  to  classify  them,  according  to 
their  amount  of  sulphuration  and  their  temperature, 
into  eight  groups.  The  hottest  are  the  Bayen,  1 54°  F. ; 
Pre,  No.  i,  140°  F. ;  Grotte  Superieure,  137°  F. ;  and 
Reine,  135°  F.  These  have,  of  course,  to  be  cooled  or 
mixed  with  springs  of  lower  temperature  before  they 
can  be  used  for  bathing  purposes.  But  for  the 
purpose  of  what  is  called  ctuves  seches,  or  dry 
vapour  baths,  and  for  the  salles  d' inhalation,  their 
high  temperature  is  altogether  advantageous  ;  the 


SECT.  B.J  LUCHON.  247 

atmosphere  in  one  of  these  settles  can  be  raised  to 
117°  F.  by  allowing  the  vapour  of  the  mineral 
waters  to  spread  freely  through  it.  There  are  three 
principal  buvettes,  or  places  where  the  waters  are 
drunk,  supplied  by  three  springs  differing  in  tem- 
perature and  strength.  Here  the  important  process 
of  gargling  can  be  practised.  Patients  often  begin 
there,  as  elsewhere  in  France,  with  very  small  doses 
of  the  waters — a  third  or  half  a  glass  twice  a  day— 
and  this  is  very  slowly  and  cautiously  increased, 
for  some  digestions  are  readily  disturbed  by  sulphur 
waters  ;  they  are  taken  fasting  before  breakfast  and 
during  the  hour  or  two  which  precede  dinner. 

Drinking  the  water  is,  however,  but  a  small 
part  of  the  curative  processes  which  are  made  use 
of  at  Luchon.  The  Etablissement  Thermal  is  a 
handsome  building,  elaborately  fitted  up  with  all 
the  appliances  necessary  for  utilising  the  waters 
according  to  the  most  approved  methods.  It  has 
well-appointed  salles  $  inhalation  and  pulverisation, 
others  for  vapour  baths,  others  for  humage.  This 
method  is  claimed  to  have  originated  at  Luchon  and 
to  be,  in  some  respects,  special  to  it.  These  waters 
give  off  spontaneously  much  sulphuretted  hydrogen 
gas ;  this  is  conducted  through  tubes  to  special 
apparatus  (each  patient  having  his  own)  in  a  large, 
airy,  and  dry  chamber,  and  is  there  inhaled.  It  is 
asserted  that  what  is  termed  humage  at  other 
sulphur  spas  is  not  the  same  thing,  but  simply  the 
inspiration  of  pulverised  water,  produced  under 
strong  pressure.  There  are  eleven  different  sets  or 
baths  in  separate  pavilions,  supplied  from  different 
sources,  and  so  arranged  that  the  bather  can  take 
his  bath  with  or  without  an  atmosphere  of  vapour. 
There  is  also  a  special  department  for  the  various 
sorts  of  douches,  piscines  for  men  and  for  women,  and 
a  large  piscine  dc  natation  with  running  water.  Alto- 
gether it  is  one  of  the  most  complete  bathing  estab- 
lishments in  Europe.  The  great  central  hall  of 
the  Etablissement,  the  salles  des  pas  perdus,  is 


248  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

constructed  of  white  marble,  the  walls  hand- 
somely decorated  with  frescoes,  and  it  is  con- 
veniently furnished  with  chairs  and  lounges  and 
tables,  supplied  with  a  number  of  French  and 
other  newspapers. 

In  the  next  place,  let  us  inquire  what  are  the 
cases  to  which  the  treatment  at  Luchon  is  applicable. 
Rheumatic  affections  and  all  forms  of  disease  asso- 
ciated writh  the  rheumatic  diathesis  are  suitable  for 
treatment  at  Luchon.  Respiratory  diseases  are 
considered  especially  suitable  for  treatment  by 
humage  of  the  natural  sulphur  vapours ;  tendencies 
to  catarrhal  attacks  are  removed— cases  of  naso- 
pharyngeal  catarrh,  of  rhinitis,  of  laryngitis  and 
catarrhal  otitis  are  said  to  be  prevented  and  cured. 
Chronic  bronchitis  with  emphysema  and  true  asthma 
are  also  greatly  benefited. 

Some  forms  of  tuberculosis  do  \vell  there — the 
torpid,  apyretic  forms,  with  tendency  to  fibroid 
changes.  The  sequelae  of  influenza  and  other  acute 
infective  diseases  are  benefited  by  the  aseptic  action 
of  the  sulphur  vapours.  Chronic  diseases  of  the 
skin,  and  of  these  especially  chronic  eczema  and 
parasitic  dermatitis,  do  well.  Other  chronic  skin 
diseases  often  improve  considerably  there,  but  they 
do  not  yield  the  same  satisfactory  result  as  cases 
of  eczema.  Certain  diseases  of  the  glands,  and 
especially  of  the  bones,  often  derive  benefit  in  a 
marked  degree  at  Luchon.  The  waters  of  Luchon 
are  also  reported  to  be,  like  those  of  Bareges,  of 
great  efficacy  in  the  treatment  of  gunshot  wounds. 
It  is  quite  likely  that  they  exercise  a  useful  anti- 
septic action  in  such  cases.  Cases  of  lead  and  mer- 
curial poisoning  are  said  to  be  cured  there.  In  some 
forms  of  nervous  affections — e.g.  of  neurasthenia  and 
neuritis — the  treatment  at  Luchon  exerts  a  calming 
and  regulating  influence,  and  cases  of  tabes  have 
been  greatly  benefited.  In  syphilis,  combined  with 
specific  remedies,  the  thermal  treatment  at  Luchon 
proves  of  the  greatest  service.  Bagneres  de  Luchon, 


SECT.  B.]  LUXEUIL    LES    BAINS:  249 

then,  is  a  thermal  station  of  much  importance  and 
attractiveness. 

The  season  is  from  June  ist  to  Oct.  ist.  The 
most  favourable  period,  especially  for  the  treatment 
of  respiratory  affections,  is  from  June  25th  to 
Sept.  20th. 

Luxeuil  les  Bains  (France)  is  but  a  short  dis- 
tance from  Lure,  a  station  near  Belfort.  Although 
in  the  department  of  the  Haute  Saone,  it  is  on  the 
confines  of  the  Vosges. 

Luxeuil  is  not  only  picturesquely  situated  at  an 
elevation  of  1,000  feet  above  the  sea,  but  it  is  a 
very  interesting  old  town,  with  well-preserved  quaint 
houses  and  buildings  belonging  to  the  fourteenth  and 
fifteenth  centuries,  a  magnificent  church  of  the 
fourteenth  century,  and  many  remains  of  far 
greater  antiquity  preserved  in  the  church  and  other 
buildings. 

The  waters  of  Luxeuil  are  hot,  and  resemble  some- 
what those  of  Plombieres,  but  they  are  divided  into 
two  classes  which  differ  in  their  physical  appearances 
and  chemical  composition.  One  class,  the  saline 
springs,  contains  a  small  but  appreciable  quantity 
of  chloride  of  sodium,  about  a  gramme  per  litre,  with 
minute  amounts  of  lithium,  arsenic,  manganese,  .and 
iron,  and  has  a  temperature  varying  from  84°  F. 
to  122°  F. ;  the  other  contains  much  less  chloride 
of  sodium,  but  is  characterised  by  the  possession  of 
compounds  of  iron  (0*012)  and  manganese  (0*07  per 
litre).  The  latter  class,  being  also  hot  (temperature 
80°  to  84°  F.),  presents  a  rare  form  of  spring,  almost 
unique  in  Europe.  The  baths  are  prepared  either 
of  the  saline  water  alone  or  mixed  with  the  iron 
water. 

The  Etablissement  des  Bains,  in  a  pretty  garden 
and  park,  is  well  arranged,  and  contains  all  the 
baths  and  douches  required  for  the  treatment 
of  the  cases  to  which  the  waters  of  Luxeuil, 
and  the  methods  employed  there,  are  specially 


2  5° 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


applicable  ;  these  are  mainly  diseases  of  women — 
those  uterine  affections  so  often  found  associated 
with  anaemia  and  debility  ;•  also  various  rheumatic 
affections,  and  particularly  cases  of  intestinal  rheu- 
matism and  some  functional  nervous  affections, 
neurasthenic  and  hysterical. 

Cases  of  periuterine  adenitis — i.e.  chronic  in- 
flammation of  the  lymphatic  glands  and  vessels  sur- 
rounding the  uterus— are  reported  to  be  frequently 
cured  by  the  method  of  treatment  adopted  there. 
Ascending  rectal  douches  and  uterine  and  vaginal 
irrigations  applied  in  the  bath  are  amongst  the  most 
efficacious  of  the  methods  employed  at  Luxeuil. 
The  former  are  employed  in  cases  of  chronic 
constipation,  and  in  some  forms  of  enteritis  and 
intestinal  dyspepsia,  the  latter  in  the  uterine  maladies 
just  mentioned,  in  uterine  or  vaginal  leucorrhcea, 
in  uterine  congestions  and  their  consequences, 
dysmenorrhcea,  metritis,  etc.  Uterine  maladies 
complicated  with  neurasthenia,  and  the  nervous 
disturbances  of  the  menopause,  are  especially  suit- 
able to  this  spa. 

The  iron  and  manganese  springs  are  considered 
of  especial  value  in  cases  of  anaemia.  These  are 
chiefly  drunk,  but 'treatment  by  baths  predominates 
at  Luxeuil. 

Luxeuil  is  quite  a  small  spa,  and  not  very  greatly 
frequented,  but  the  surrounding  country  is  attractive, 
and  the  ancient  little  town  with  its  quaint  houses 
and  fine  buildings  is  very  interesting. 

The  season  is  from  June  ist  to  Sept.  isth. 


Ladis,  in  the  valley  of  the  Inn, 
Austrian  Tyrol,  two  miles  and  a- 
half  from  the  Landeck  station, 
has  cold  sulphur  waters  containing 
H2S.  It  is  in  a  fine  situation  near 
the  ruined  castle  of  .the  same 
name,  at  an  elevation  of  nearly 
4,000  feet.  About  600  feet  above 
it  is  Ob-Ladis,  which  also  has  cold 


sulphur     baths,    and     a    gaseous 
spring,  which  is  drunk. 

Landeck,  in  the  county  of  Glatz, 
in  Prussian  Silesia,  on  the  branch- 
line  connecting  Glatz,  Landeck, 
and  Seidenberg,  has  many  thcr- 
mal  springs,  which  have  been 
classed  amongst  the  indifferent 
thermal  waters  ;  but  as  thev  con- 


SECT.    B.] 


LA  NDECK—LEIXLIP. 


251 


tain  minute  quantities  of  sodium 
sulphide  and  H0S  they  were  at 
one  time  regarded  as  sulphur 
waters.  They  contain  also  sodium 
sulphate  and  free  nitrogen.  Their 
temperature  varies  from  66°  to 
84°  F.  Landeck  is  situated  in  a 
mountainous  country,  at  an  ele- 
vation of  1,470  feet,  and  in  the 
vicinity  of  extensive  forests.  Two 
of  the  springs  are  used  for  drink- 
ing and  gargling,  the  other  for 
baths.  The  water  of  certain 
springs  is  collected  in  pools,  in 
which  twenty  to  thirty  patients 
bathe  together.  Mud  baths  are 
also  prepared,  and  hydropathic 
treatment  is  available.  The 
springs  of  Landeck  are  said  to 
have  been  utilised  since  the  middle 
ages.  The  maladies  treated  are 
diseases  of  women,  neuroses,  rheu- 
matism and  gout,  anaemia  and 
catarrh  of  the  respiratory  organs. 

The  season  is  from  May  to  the 
end  of  September. 

Langenau,  or  Niederlangenau, 
in  the  county  of  Glatz,  in  Silesia, 
lies  at  an  elevation  of  1,130  feet  in 
the  Neisse  valley,  sheltered  by 
surrounding  mountains,  and  pos- 
sesses cold  gaseous  chalybeate 
springs,  containing  0-049  per  litre 
of  bicarbonate  of  iron.  The  water 
is  used  for  baths  and  for  drinking. 
Ferruginous  Moor  baths  and  hy- 
dropathic treatment  are  also 
provided.  The  chalybeate  baths 
are  warmed  by  the  Schwartz 
method,  the  baths  being  double- 
bottomed. 

Langenau  has  a  station  on  the 
line  between  Breslau  and  Mittel- 
welde.  Maladies  treated  there 
are  anaemia,  chlorosis,  neuras- 
thenia, gout,  and  paralysis. 

The  season  is  from  May  till  the 
middle  of  October. 

Langenbriicken,  in  the  Grand 
Duchy  of  Baden,  on  the  line  be- 
tween Heidelberg  and  Bale,  at  an 
elevation  of  about  440  feet,  has 
springs  containing  the  aperient 


sulphates  of  sodium  and  mag- 
nesium, sulphuretted  hydrogen, 
and  free  carbonic  acid,  "  sul- 
phated  sulphur  springs."  The 
water  is  used  for  drinking  and  for 
baths,  and  the  spray  and  vapour 
— in  suitable  chambers — is  in- 
haled. The  cases  treated  are 
those  of  catarrh  of  the  respiratory 
organs,  haemorrhoids  and  ab- 
dominal plethora,  chronic  rheu- 
matism and  gout,  and  skin  affec- 
tions. 

The  season  is  from  the  begin- 
ning of  May  to  the  beginning  of 
October. 

Langenfeld,  in  the  picturesque 
Oetzthal,  Austrian  Tyrol,  at  an 
altitude  of  3,820  feet,  has  cold 
sulphuretted  hydrogen  waters. 

Langensalza,  in  Thuringia,  at 
an  altitude  of  660  feet,  has  cold 
calcareous  sulphur  springs,  rich 
in  sulphuretted  hydrogen.  The 
bath  is  at  some  distance  from  the 
town.  The  water  is  used  for 
drinking,  baths,  and  inhalations, 
in  chronic  catarrhal  affections  of 
the  respiratory  organs,  and  other 
diseases  usually  treated  by  sulphur 
baths. 

Season,  May  i  to  Oct.  i. 

Lauchstadt,  in  the  province  of 
Saxony,  a  very  small  bath  with 
earthy  chalybeate  springs. 

Laurvik,  Norway,  five  or  six 
hours  by  rail  from  Christiania, 
has  chalybeate  and  sulphur 
springs  and  a  thermal  bath  es- 
tablishment. Sulphurous  mud  is 
also  made  use  of,  and  living  jelly- 
fish are  applied  to  produce 
counter  -  irritation  in  rheumatic 
and  neuralgic  cases. 

Lausigk  (Hermannsbad),  in 
Saxony,  has  strong  sulphate  of  iron 
waters. 

Ledesma,  a  thermal  sulphur  spa 
in  Spain,  province  of  Salamanca, 
in  a  fine  situation  2,000  feet  above 
the  sea. 

Leixlip  Spa,  Ireland,  two  miles 
from  Lucan,  on  the  Liffey,  weakly 


252 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


mineralised  waters  smelling  feebly 
of  H2S. 

Le  Prese.    See  Prese,  Le,  p.  292. 

Liebenstein,  in  the  Duchy  of 
Saxe-Meiningen,  situated  on  the 
western  slope  of  the  Thiiringer- 
Wald,  at  an  elevation  of  1,450 
feet,  has  cold  gaseous  chalybeate 
springs,  the  stronger  of  which 
contains  0*104  Per  litre  °f  bicar- 
bonate of  iron,  the  weaker  o-o8. 

There  is  also  an  establishment 
for  hydrotherapy  and  Franzens- 
bad  Moor  extract  baths.  Fango 
baths,  pine-needle  baths,  artificial 
saline  baths,  and  electric  baths 
can  be  obtained.  There  are  beau- 
tiful walks  in  the  surrounding 
forests.  The  same  cases  are  treated 
there  as  in  other  chalybeate  spas. 
It  has  a  great  local  popularity. 

The  season  is  from  May  15  to 
Sept.  30. 

Liebenstein  is  on  the  branch 
line  Immelborn-Liebenstein  of  the 
Werra  line. 

Liebenzell,  a  simple  thermal 
bath  in  the  Wiirtemberg  Black 
Forest,  about  eight  miles  from 
Wildbad  and  five  miles  from 
Pforzheim  railway  station.  Its 
springs  resemble  those  of  Wildbad, 
but  are  of  a  lower  temperature 
(72°  to  82°  F.),  and  are  warmed 
for  the  baths. 

The  situation  is  picturesque, 
and  the  life  is  homely.  The  place 
is  chiefly  resorted  to  for  female 
maladies,  and  by  Germans  mostly. 

Season,  from  May  to  Septem- 
ber. 

Liebwerda,  a  chalybeate  spa  in 
Northern  Bohemia,  on  the  south- 
west slope  of  the  Tafelfichte,  at  an 
altitude  of  1,420  feet,  three  or  four 
miles  from  the  railway  station 
Raspenau- Liebwerda.  The  iron 
spring  is  cold,  and  rich  in  carbonic 
acid,  and  contains  0^03  of  bicar- 
bonate of  iron  per  litre.  Ferrugin- 
ous Moor  baths  are  also  prepared. 
It  has  another  spring  which  is 
used  as  a  table  water,  as  it  is 


weakly  mineralised,  and  contains 
much  carbonic  acid. 

Linda-Pausa,  or  Bad  Linda,  near 
Pausa,  in  the  Vogtland,  Saxony, 
has  chalybeate  wells  containing 
carbonate  of  iron  and  sulphate  of 
iron. 

Lipetsk,  Russia,  picturesquely 
situated  on  the  river  Voronezh, 
has  cold  chalybeate  waters  and 
ferruginous  peat  baths. 

Lipik,  in  Slavonia,  has  hot 
weak  alkaline  and  common  salt 
waters.  The  temperature  of  the 
hottest  spring  is  147°  F,  and  this 
contains  sodium  bicarbonate  1-9, 
sodium  chloride  0-6,  and  sodium 
iodide  0-02  per  litre. 

Lobenstein,  in  the  Thuringian 
Forest,  principality  of  Reuss,  at  an 
altitude  of  1,650  feet,  has  earthy 
chalybeate  springs  and  ferruginous 
Moor  baths. 

Lons  le  Saunier,  picturesquely 
situated  at  an  altitude  of  840  feet, 
on  the  verge  of  the  Jura  chain  in 
France,  and  on  the  line  of  railway 
between  Lyons  and  Besancon, 
has  strong  brine  baths,  the  brine 
coming  from  the  "salines"  of 
Perrigny.  It  contains  as  much  as 
305  grammes  per  litre  of  common 
salt,  and  the  eau  mere  contains  6-g 
per  litre  of  bromides.  Lons  le 
Saunier  has  also  a  saline  chaly- 
beate spring,  which  is  used  for 
drinking,  and  in  a  litre  contains 
sodium  chloride  io'o,  magnesium 
carbonate  1-6,  and  iron  carbon- 
ate 0-09,  with  much  free  carbonic 
acid  and  a  little  of  H2S.  It  has  a 
modern  bath  establishment,  with 
brine  baths,  a  small  swimming 
bath,  and  the  usual  processes  of 
hydrotherapy,  together  with  ex- 
ternal application  of  carbonic 
acid  gas.  The  climate  is  some- 
what variable,  with  rather  brusque 
variations  of  temperature.  The 
drinking  spring  is  purgative  in 
large  doses,  and  in  small  doses  is 
stimulating  to  the  digestive  organs 
and  a  general  tonic.  The  cases 


SECT.    B.] 


MARIENBAD. 


253 


treated  there  are  scrofula  and 
rickets,  chronic  rheumatism,  and 
chronic  uterine  maladies.  Inter- 
esting excursions  into  the  Jura  can 
be  made. 

Season,  June  ist  to  Oct.  ist. 

Lostorf,  a  Swiss  bath  on  the 
southern  slope  of  the  Jura,  one 
and  a-half  hour's  drive  from 
Olten,  has  cold  common  salt  and 
sulphur  springs,  and  a  sulphate  of 
lime  spring. 

Luhatschowitz,  in  a  valley  of 
the  Carpathians  (Moravia),  a  short 


drive  from  the  railway  station, 
Ungarisch  Brod,  at  an  elevation 
of  i  ,600  feet,  has  cold  gaseous 
alkaline  common  salt  waters,  con- 
taining sodium  carbonate  3-0  to 
4-4,  sodium  chloride  2-4  to  2-5, 
sodium  iodide  0-007  to  o-oi2,  and 
sodium  bromide  0-02  to  0-045  per 
litre,  with  much  free .  carbonic 
acid.  They  are  used  in  cases  of 
uric  acid  gravel,  and  in  gouty 
catarrhal  affections. 

Luz   (Pyrenees).     See   St.    Sau- 
veur,  p.  316. 


Marienbad,  like  Carlsbad,  is  situated  a  few 
miles  (eighteen  and  a-half)  from  the  town  of  Eger, 
in  Bohemia,  and  it  is  therefore  reached  in  the  same 
way  as  Carlsbad.  It  lies,  however,  in  a  different 
direction,  being  on  the  line  of  railway  which  runs 
from  Eger  to  Pilsen  and  Vienna. 

Marienbad  has  much  in  common  with  Carlsbad, 
but  differs  at  the  same  time  in  some  not  unim- 
portant particulars.  It  is  situated  in  a  beautiful 
broad,  open  valley,  with  pine-clad  hills  on  three 
sides,  and  is  at  an  elevation  of  1,912  feet  above 
the  sea.  This  comparatively  high  situation  gives 
it  a  fresh  and  somewhat  bracing  climate  in  summer. 

The  wooded  hills  around  are  intersected  in  every 
direction  wtth  footpaths,  which  afford  delightful 
walks,  and  there  are  many  fine  points  ,of  view  that 
are  easily  accessible. 

The  lower  portion  of  the  valley,  where  the  wells 
are  situated,  is  laid  out  in  pleasure  grounds,  and 
these,  with  a  fine  Kursaal,  colonnades  for  shops,  a 
theatre,  and  excellent  lodging-houses,  render  Marien- 
bad a  very  agreeable  place  of  residence. 

The  waters  resemble  those  of  Carlsbad,  only  they 
are  cold,  and  they  contain  more  of  the  aperient 
sodium  sulphate  and  of  the  other  sodium  salts  (bi- 
carbonate and  chloride),  and  more  carbonic  acid. 
Some  of  the  springs  also  contain  a  notable  quantity 


254  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

of  iron — as  much  as  0*048  to  0*084  bicarbonate  of 
iron  per  litre.  The  chief  drinking  springs  are  the 
Kreuzbrunnen,  the  Ferdinandsbrunnen,  and  the  Wald- 
quelle.  The  two  former  are  brought  by  pipes,  from 
about  a  mile  distant,  to  the  Promenaden  Platz.  The 
Ferdinandsbrunnen  is  the  stronger  of  the  two,  having 
per  litre  5*0  grammes  of  sodium  sulphate,  2'o  sodium 
chloride,  and  r8  sodium  bicarbonate.  The  Wald- 
quelle,  to  the  north  of  the  town,  is  relatively  poor 
in  sodium  sulphate  (ro),  and  rich  in  sodium  bi- 
carbonate (1*4)  and  carbonic  acid  gas. 

The  Marienquelle  and  the  chalybeate  waters  of 
the  Ambrosiusbrunnen  and  the  Carolinienbrunnen 
are  used  chiefly  for  bathing.  There  is  also  an 
alkaline  earthy  spring,  the  Kronprinz  Rudolfs- 
quelle,  applicable  to  the  same  cases  as  the  Wild- 
ungen  water. 

Marienbad  is  celebrated  for  its  baths  as  well  as  its 
drinking  springs ;  and  you  can  obtain  there  Moor  or 
mud  baths,  pine-cone  baths,  carbonic  acid  gas  baths, 
and  ordinary  alkaline  and  chalybeate  mineral  baths. 
The  Moor  or  mud  baths  at  Marienbad,  as  at  Fran- 
zensbad,  occupy  an  important  place  in  the  treat- 
ment. The  Marienbad  ferruginous  peat,  with  which 
they  are  prepared,  is  said  to  be  richer  in  iron  than 
that  of  Franzensbad.  These  baths  are  applied  in 
chronic  female  complaints,  as  at  Franzensbad,  and 
also  as  a  form  of  thermal  bath.  The  waters  are 
taken  in  the  early  morning  fasting,  and  again,  if 
necessary,  between  six  and  seven  in  the  evening. 
The  dose  is  varied  according  to  the  case  and  the 
observed  effects. 

There  being  such  a  variety  of  springs,  various 
ailments  can  be  treated  advantageously  at  Marien- 
bad. In  the  first  place,  the  waters  are  adapted  to 
much  the  same  cases  as  Carlsbad,  but  are  better 
suited  to  those  which  require  a  more  decidedly 
aperient  effect,  their  aperient  action  being  much  more 
marked.  Marienbad  has  acquired  a  great  reputation 
for  the  reduction  of  corpulency  and  the  treatment  of 


SECT.  B.]  MARIENBAD.  255 

cases  of  plethora  and  abdominal  congestion  in  the 
overfed  and  sedentary.     In  many  of  these  cases  the 
liver  is   enlarged   and  the  heart's  action  enfeebled. 
The  waters   of    Marienbad    appear  to   possess  the 
property  of  diminishing  the  amount  of  fat  accumu- 
lated in  the  body,  without  injuriously  affecting  the 
digestion  or  the  processes  of  blood  formation  ;    so 
that  while  the  fat  is  disappearing  there  is  no  loss  of 
muscle,  and  the  general  health  and  nutrition  are  in 
many    cases    improved.       Marienbad    is    the    chief 
representative  of  these  cold  gaseous  sodium  sulphate 
waters,  which  are  found  so  effectual  in  the  treatment 
of  obesity.     The  fat,  however,  soon  re-forms  if  great 
care  in  diet  is  not  observed  after  as  well  as  during 
the  course.      Cases   of  gouty   dyspepsia,   periodical 
headaches,  chronic  constipation  and  intestinal  catarrh, 
and  haemorrhoids  are  often  greatly  benefited  by  this 
course.     Urinary  maladies,   catarrhal    or   calcareous, 
can   be  treated  here    by   the   Rudolfsquelle,   as   at 
Wildungen  or  Contrexeville. 

Like  the  Carlsbad  waters,  those  of  Marienbad  are 
also  employed  in  cases  of  chronic  enlargement  of  the 
liver  and  jaundice,  gallstones,  and  the  early  stage  of 
cirrhosis,  and  in  glycosuria  in  the  obese  or  gouty. 

In  cases  of  corpulency  it  is  often  thought  desirable 
to  allow  some  of  the  gas  in  the  water  to  escape,  lest 
it  should  be  too  exciting,  and  this  is  managed  by 
pouring  the  water  from  one  glass  to  another  before 
drinking  it.  The  presence  of  an  appreciable  amount 
of  iron  in  these  waters  may  impart  to  them  a  certain 
tonic  effect. 

Anaemic  patients  may  drink  the  iron  springs,  if 
they  find  they  can  digest  them  ;  and  the  Waldquelle 
is  prescribed  in  chronic  catarrh  of  the  respiratory 
organs. 

Certain  forms  of  cardiac  disturbance  are  con- 
sidered by  some  authorities  well  suited  to  treatment 
at  Marienbad,  even  when  there  is  valvular  disease, 
such  as  cases  of  fatty  infiltration  of  the  heart  in  the 
obese,  gouty  disturbances  of  cardiac  innervation,  and 


256  MINERAL    SPRINGS.         .         [PART  i. 

the  cardiac  neuroses  common  at  the  menopause. 
But  it  must  always  be  kept  in  view  that  it  is  not 
easy  in  many  cases  to  estimate  precisely  the  physical 
condition  of  the  cardiac  walls  and  valves,  and  that 
the  greatest  caution  and  discrimination  are  needed  in 
submitting  cardiac  cases  to  thermal  and  mineral 
water  treatment. 

The  invalid's  life  at  Marienbad  is  much  like  that 
at  Carlsbad.  At  6  a.m.  the  band  begins  to  play, 
either  at  the  Kreuzbrunnen  or  the  Ferdinands- 
brunnen,  situated  at  the  opposite  ends  of  a  long, 
covered  colonnade,  and  at  this  hour  drinking  begins, 
and  continues  until  8  a.m.  At  that  time  the  band 
ceases  playing,  and  the  crowd  of  drinkers  begins  to 
disperse.  It  is  the  custom,  as  at  Carlsbad,  to  proceed 
then  to  the  baker's  shop  and  select  the  petits 
pains  quite  hot  and  fresh  from  the  oven  that  you 
intend  to  consume  at  breakfast.  Those  for  the 
corpulent  are  baked  hard  and  in  long  sticks.  The 
patient  departs  with  his  bread  in  a  little  bag,  and 
makes  for  the  cafe  of  his  choice.  Most  of  these  are 
situated  at  a  little  distance  from  the  springs,  in  the 
adjacent  woods,  generally  where  there  is  a  pleasant 
view.  Here,  at  little  tables  in  the  open  air,  under 
the  shade  of  the  pine  trees,  the  cafe-au-lait  and  the 
bread  (without  butter)  are  consume'd ;  the  addition  of 
two  lightly  boiled  eggs  is  the  extent  of  indulgence 
allowed  to  the  "  cure-guests."  Soon  after  breakfast 
the  baths  are  taken,  always  followed  by  a  period  of 
repose.  On  non-bathing  days  it  is  usual  to  stroll 
into  the  pine  woods  after  breakfast. 

At  i  p.m.  is  the  early  dinner  for  the  Germans, 
and  a  two  o'clock  dinner  is  provided  at  some  hotels  for 
the  English.  The  afternoon  is  spent  in  promenades 
and  excursions,  and  coffee  or  tea  at  the  restaurants  in 
the  woods.  A  light  supper  between  seven  and  eight 
concludes  the  invalid's  day. 

The  season  is  from  May  to  September.  It  is 
often  cold  at  Marienbad  until  the  middle  of 
June. 


SECT.  B.]  MONT    DORE.  257 

Matlock  Bath,  Derbyshire,  four  hours  from 
London,  has  simple  thermal  springs  of  a  compara- 
tively low  temperature  (68°  F.),  as  well  as  several 
petrifying  springs.  It  lies  in  the  Derwent  Valley,  a 
dale  in  a  picturesque  and  sheltered  position.  The 
thermal  water  is  feebly  mineralised,  its  chief  contents 
being  calcium  carbonate  0*2  per  litre,  and  magnesium 
sulphate  OT,  with  minute  quantities  of  sodium 
chloride  and  calcium  sulphate,  and  a  small  amount 
of  free  carbonic  acid  gas.  The  mineral  water  is 
supplied  to  the  "  Fountain  Baths,"  a  private  estab- 
lishment where  there  are  a  swimming  bath  and  slipper 
baths  ;  to  the  Royal  Hotel  Bath  Establishment,  where 
there  is  a  swimming  bath  also,  and  Turkish  and 
various  other  baths  and  douches ;  and  to  the  New 
Bath  Hotel.  The  water  is  also  supplied  for  drinking. 
Matlock  is,  however,  chiefly  frequented  for  its  well- 
appointed  hydros. 

The  mineral  baths  have  been  found  useful  in 
chronic  gouty  and  rheumatic  arthritis,  and  in  lumbago 
and  sciatica. 

Pleasant  excursions  can  be  made  from  Matlock 
into  the  interesting  Peak  district. 

Mont  Dore  (Puy  de  Dome),  France,  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  3,400  feet  above  the  sea,  is  the  highest 
mountain  health  resort  in  Central  France,  and  cer- 
tainly the  most  frequented.  It  can  now  be  reached 
from  Paris  by  express  trains  in  about  ten  hours. 

Mont  Dore  lies,  with  its  houses  closely  packed 
together,  in  the  bed  of  the  valley  of  the  Dor- 
dogne,  surrounded  nearly  on  all  sides  by  high  moun- 
tains, some  reaching  to  nearly  3,000  feet  above  it. 
The  surrounding  country  is  very  beautiful,  abounding 
in  richly  wooded  slopes,  striking  mountain  forms, 
and  pretty  though  small  cascades,  with  many  grand 
views  from  easily  attained  elevations.  The  Pic  de 
Sancy,  ovei  6,000  feet  above  the  sea,  the  highest 
mountain  of  Central  France,  is  easily  reached  from 
Mont  Dore  in  a  walk  of  about  thre£  hours.  Horses 


258  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

can  be  taken  to  within  ten  minutes  of  the  summit. 
A  very  extensive  view  is  thence  obtained. 

Mont  Dore  possesses  eleven  warm  springs  and 
one  (Sainte  Marguerite)  cold  one.  The  latter  is  not 
looked  upon  as  belonging  to  the  same  category.  It 
is  used  as  a  gaseous  table  water.  La  Madeleine,  Le 
Bardon,  and  the  Ramond  are  those  used  internally. 
The  Ramond  contains  more  iron  than  any  of  the 
others.  The  other  sources — the  Caesar,  Caroline,  St. 
Jean,  Rigny,  Boyer  and  Pigeon  — are  used  chiefly  for 
the  baths.  They  have  all  very  nearly  the  same  com- 
position, differing,  however,  in  the  amount  of  free 
carbonic  acid  gas  they  contain.  The  warm  springs 
differ  in  temperature  from  104°  to  n6'5°  F. 

They  are  feebly  mineralised,  containing  only  2 
grammes  of  solids  per  litre.  They  are  weak  alkaline 
waters,  the  chief  constituents  being  sodium  bicar- 
bonate (0*53)  and  sodium  chloride  (0*36).  There  is 
also  a  small  amount  of  bicarbonate  of  iron  (0*02) ; 
the  source  Ramond  is  said  to  have  as  much  as  0*05. 
Some  appear  to  think  the  silica  (0*16)  an  important 
factor.  But  the  greatest  stress  is  laid  on  the  sodium 
arsenate  the  water  contains,  and  it  is  often  described 
as  an  "  arsenical "  water,  although  it  only  contains 
0*0009  per  litre,  i.e.  about  -fa  of  a  grain  in  35  ounces. 

The  waters  at  Mont  Dore  have  been  classified  at 
different  epochs  under*  three  distinct  heads :  i,  as 
waters  containing  a  mixture  of  alkaline  bicarbonates 
with  iron  ;  2,  as  weak  alkaline  waters ;  and  3,  at  the 
present  time,  as  arsenical  waters. 

Mont  Dore  has  been  provided  of  recent  years 
with  a  very  fine  Etablissement  Thermal — one  of  the 
most  complete  and  well  appointed  in  France.  There 
the  waters  are  administered  internally  and  externally  ; 
in  the  form  of -ordinary  baths  ;  in  the  form  of  vapour 
and  spray ;  in  douches,  local  and  general  ;  in  the 
form  of  gargles,  and  in  other  special  forms.  The 
waters  are  drunk  fasting,  in  the  morning,  from  three 
to  four  glasses  a  day,  leaving  an  interval  of  half  an 
hour  between  each  glass  or  portion  of  a  glass. 


SECT.  B.]  MONT   DORE.  .          259 

Some  patients  are  also  made  to  inhale  the  com- 
pressed vapour  of  the  water  in  the  salles  d' aspiration, 
and  Mont  Dore  claims  for  itself  the  credit  of  having 
first  introduced  this  method  of  utilising  such  waters 
in  the  year  1833. 

The  salles  d' aspiration  are  very  extensive.  It 
is  a  curious  sight  to  enter  one  of  these  salles,  filled 
with  hot,  dense,  vaporous  mist  through  which  you 
dimly  discern  the  forms  of  the  patients,  clad  in  a 
special  flannel  dress  for  the  purpose,  some  sitting, 
some  standing,  some  walking,  some  reading,  some 
talking.  Here  every  morning  they  are  shut  up  for 
half  an  hour  or  longer  to  inhale  the  hot  mist. 

Great  care  is  taken  that  a  patient  who  is  being 
submitted  to  this  treatment  does  not  take  cold.  He 
is  brought  to  the  bath  from  his  hotel  in  a  sedan- 
chair,  and  when  he  comes  out  of  the  vapour  bath  he 
is  conveyed  rapidly  again  in  a  sedan-chair  to  his 
hotel,  and  is  expected  to  return  to  his  warmed  bed, 
and  remain  there  for  an  hour.  Thus  it  happens  that, 
from  the  early  hour  of  4  a.m.  at  Mont  Dore,  the 
stairs  and  passages  of  the  hotels  resound  with  the 
clatter  of  wooden  shoes  and  the  hurrying  to  and  fro 
of  the  sedan-chairs.  Sometimes  the  patient  is  ordered 
a  foot  bath  before  entering  the  salles  d 'aspiration, 
and  generally  he  drinks  a  little  of  the  thermal  water 
before  and  after  the  seance. 

Other  patients,  chiefly  those  who  suffer  from 
throat  affections,  inhale  the  water  in  a  state  of  pul- 
verisation or  spray,  and  also  gargle  with  it.  Douches 
of  vapour  applied  locally  are  employed  and  thought 
of  much  value  in  muscular  rheumatism  and  in 
rheumatic  inflammation  of  the  joints,  as  well  as  in 
sciatica  and  intercostal  neuralgia.  The  patient  is 
seated  on  a  stool  and  an  intermittent  jet  of  vapour  is 
directed  upon  the  part  affected.  Douches  of  water, 
in  the  form  of  a  jet,  or  a  rose,  and  of  varying  pressure, 
are  also  used.  They  are  applied  to  the  spine  as  a 
stimulant  to  the  nervous  system,  and  in  cases  of 
lumbago  and  sciatica ;  to  the  joints  when  swollen 


26o  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

and  painful ;  to  the  chest  in  some  chest  affections, 
and,  indeed,  to  any  part  which  it  is  desired  to 
influence  specially.  The  ordinary  baths  are  ad- 
ministered either  at  a  high  temperature,  i.e.  from  107° 
to  112°  F.,  or  at  a  moderate  temperature,  i.e.  from 
90°  to  1 00°  F.  The  latter  temperature  is  considered 
more  suitable  to  feeble,  nervous  persons,  as  well  as 
to  old  people  and  children. 

In  some  cases  hyperthermal  half-baths,  or  hip 
baths,  are  prescribed  of  the  natural  temperature  of 
the  particular  spring  used,  viz.,  from  100°  to  115°  F. 

Finally  there  are  the  hot  foot  or  hand  baths, 
which  are  thought  of  great  importance  there,  and  are 
believed  to  accelerate  the  circulation  in  the  lower 
extremities  and  to  prevent  any  tendency  to  congestion 
of  the  head  which  the  rest  of  the  course  of  treat- 
ment might  possibly  produce,  as  well  as  indirectly 
to  relieve  congestion  of  the  respiratory  organs. 
The  patients  sit  with  their  feet  and  legs  in  hot 
\vater  of  the  natural  temperature,  i.e.  about  112° 
F.  They  remain  in  the  bath  from  five  to  nine 
minutes  and  then  walk  for  at  least  half  an  hour  after- 
wards. 

In  the  next  place,  what  are  the  ailments  to  which 
the  course  of  treatment  instituted  at  Mont  Dore  is 
especially  applicable  ?  Chronic  rheumatism  of  the 
joints  and  muscles,  certain  forms  of  neuralgia,  chiefly 
sciatica  and  intercostal  neuralgia,  have  already  been 
referred  to.  To  these  must  be  added  nearly  all 
forms  of  chronic  disease  of  the  throat  and  respiratory 
organs,  whether  of  the  nose,  pharynx,  larynx,  trachea, 
bronchi,  or  lungs ;  and  it  has  quite  a  special  and 
widely  spread  reputation  for  the  cure  of  asthma. 

The  treatment  of  asthma  at  Mont  Dore  is  con- 
sidered fully  in  a  special  note. 

The  respiratory  affections  of  the  gouty  and  the 
diabetic  are  stated  to  be  especially  benefited  by  treat- 
ment there.  Chronic  rhinitis  and  pharyngitis, 
chronic  recurring  laryngitis  and  fatigue  of  the  larynx, 
as  it  occurs  in  public  speakers  and  others  who  may 


SECT.  B.]  MONT   DORE.  261 

have  to  use  their  voice  to  excess,  and  nervous 
aphonia — such  cases  are  common  amongst  the  fre- 
quenters of  this  bath.  Catarrhal  and  congestive 
chronic  bronchitis  and  tracheitis,  so  often  obstinate 
and  recurrent  in  persons  of  gouty  constitution  ; 
broncho-pneumonia  in  children,  following  acute 
infectious  fevers,  are  especially  suitable  for  this  cure. 
Chronic  pleurisy  with  adhesions  improves  greatly. 
As  to  the  treatment  of  pulmonary  phthisis  there, 
much  discussion  of  a  somewhat  heated  nature  at 
one  time  prevailed.  The  conclusion  now  generally 
adopted  is  that,  in  common  with  other  moun- 
tain stations,  early  afebrile  cases  do  well  there, 
and  in  more  advanced  cases  benefit  may  arise  if  the 
disease  is  limited  and  localised,  free  from  fever  and 
from  serious  constitutional  disturbance. 

The  climate  of  Mont  Dore  is  very  variable,  storms 
of  rain  and  thunder  coming  on  suddenly,  and  in  some 
seasons  frequently.  Sudden  and  very  localised  gusts 
of  wind  are  also  commonly  encountered.  There  is  no 
doubt  that  the  climate  can  be,  and  often  is,  exceed- 
ingly disagreeable.  Owing  to  the  situation  and 
direction  of  the  valley,  the  eastern  slopes  are  in  shade 
for  a  few  hours  after  sunrise,  but  soon  the  sun  mounts 
high  above  the  eastern  boundary  and  its  rays  stream 
down  with  great  intensity  into  the  deep  valley,  and 
it  is  often  excessively  hot  during  the  whole  of  the 
day.  The  early  mornings  and  the  evenings  are 
mostly  fresh  and  bracing,  and  the  pleasantest  days 
are  those  on  which  the  sky  is  covered  with  light 
clouds,  without  rain  ;  then  the  air  during  the  whole 
day  feels  fresh  and  invigorating.  The  atmospheric 
pressure  at  Mont  Dore  is  considerably  reduced,  and 
the  average  height  of  the  barometer  is  26-6.  The 
variations  of  temperature  during  the  months  of  June, 
July,  and  August  are  sometimes  very  considerable, 
the  maximum  being  86°  F.  and  the  minimum  37°  F. 
The  average  temperature  in  August  is  57°  F.  The 
hygrometric  condition  of  the  air  is,  no  doubt,  favour- 
able to  most  invalids ;  it  is  decidedly  a  dry  air 


262  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

compared  with  the  air  of  towns— as  e.g.  that  of 
Paris,  or  of  the  seacoast.  The  relative  amount  of 
watery  vapour  in  the  atmosphere  of  Mont  Dore  as 
compared  with  Paris  is  as  9-94  to  i5'46.  Fogs  and 
mists  are,  however,  frequent,  and  the  season  of  fine 
weather  is  often  extremely  short.  July  and  August 
are  the  finest  months,  The  season  scarcely  com- 
mences before  the  beginning  of  July,  and  is  soon 
over  after  the  end  of  August.  There  is  an  electric 
railway  (funiculaire)  leading  to  the  "  Pare  du 
Capucin,"  which  is  about  800  feet  higher  than  Mont 
Dore. 

Note  on  the  Treatment  of  Asthma  at  Mont  Dore. 

It  was  through  a  casual,  and  almost  an  accidental, 
observation  that  Dr.  Michel  Bertrand,  a  former  celebrated 
inspector  at  Mont  Dore,  discovered  that  an  attack  of  asthma 
would  disappear  under  the  influence  of  the  emanations  from 
the  spring,  and  this  observation  induced  him  to  attempt  to 
procure  a  dense  vapour  of  the  water  of  Mont  Dore  in  one  of 
the  douche  chambers,  by  allowing  the  douche  to  flow  for 
some  time  and  break  into  spray  by  falling  on  a  plank.  He 
found  that  when  asthmatic  patients  were  admitted  into  the 
chamber  and  breathed  this  vapour,  they  found  themselves 
rapidly  relieved.  This  observation  led  to  the  construction  of 
special  chambers,  into  which  the  vapour  of  the  Mont  Dore 
water,  obtained  by  special  mechanical  contrivance,  could  be 
forced  in  abundance,  and  in  which  patients  could  remain  for 
some  time,  walking  about  or  otherwise  employing  themselves. 

This  was  the  origin  of  those  salles  a" 'aspiration  which  have 
made  Mont  Dore  celebrated.  On  chemical  analysis  of  the 
vapours  in  these  chambers,  they  are  found  to  contain  the 
same  mineral  and  gaseous  constituents  as  are  found  in  the 
springs  themselves,  viz.  carbonic  acid  gas,  arsenic,  and 
alkaline  salts. 

No  doubt  the  atmosphere  of  these  salles  contains  much 
suspended  water  in  the  form  of  hot  spray,  and  it  is  not, 
strictly  speaking,  the  vapour  of  the  water  that  yields  these 
matters  on  analysis. 

It  is  maintained  that  through  the  breathing  of  these 
vapours,  chiefly,  the  cure  of  asthma  is  effected ;  that  the  cure 
is  greatly  aided  by  drinking  the  waters,  and  by  the  use  of  the 
hot  douche  (98°  F.)  along  the  spine  ;  also  by  means  of  foot 
baths,  which  divert  the  "congestion"  towards  the  inferior 
extremities. 

Asthmatic  children  do  admirably  at  Mont  Dore,  especially 


SECT.  B.]  MONT   DORE:  26$ 

those  in  whom  the  attacks  have  appeared  after  the  cure  of 
scrofulous  impetigo  or  eczema.  In  order  to  obtain  a  com- 
plete radical  cure  of  asthma  at  Mont  Dore  it  is  held  to  be 
necessary  to  pass  at  least  two  consecutive  seasons  there,  and 
more  commonly  three.  The  routine  of  the  treatment  is  as 
follows  :  — 

The  patient  is  roused  from  his  slumbers  perhaps  at  5  a.m., 
enveloped  in  suitable  clothing,  and  carried  off  in  a  sedan- 
chair  to  the  hot  spring,  where  he  drinks  a  glass  of  the  water ; 
he  is  then  taken  to  the  bath-room,  where  he  may  probably  be 
ordered,  as  we  have  seen,  to  take  only  the  foot  bath  and  the 
hot  douche  on  the  spine,  or  a  vapour  douche,  or  he  may  take 
a  half-bath,  or  in  some  cases  the  whole  bath,  the  heat  of 
which  is  occasionally  raised  even  to  113°  F.  in  refractory 
cases.  After  from  ten  to  thirty  minutes  of  the  bath  he  is 
wrapped  up  in  hot  linen  and  dried,  and  next  conveyed  to  the 
salles  d' aspiration  ;  he  is  here  dressed  in  a  loose,  thick  flannel 
dress,  made  for  the  purpose,  as  everything  becomes  rapidly 
saturated  with  moisture  in  these  chambers  filled  with  hot, 
dense  vapour,  which  is  forced  into  them  under  pressure.  He 
remains  breathing  this  hot,  moist  atmosphere,  charged  with 
vapours  of  the  mineralised  springs,  from  twenty  minutes  to 
an  hour.  After  this  he  is  again  carried,  warmly  clothed,  to 
the  hot  spring  to  drink  another  glass  of  water,  and  thence  he 
is  conveyed  to  his  bed,  which  has  been  well  heated  by  a 
warming-pan,  and  he  is  enjoined  to  remain  there  for  an  hour 
or  more.  Now  it  is  easy  to  see  that  this  is  treatment  of  a 
very  active  kind,  and  when  applied  every  morning  for  three 
weeks  is  very  likely  to  have  some  decided  result. 

The  most  important,  and  perhaps  almost  constant,  effect 
is  a  very  decided  determination  to  the  skin  ;  profuse  perspira- 
tion, as  a  rule,  appearing  soon  after  the  commencement  of 
this  treatment.  In  obstinate  cases  every  effort  is  made  to 
produce  excessive  action  of  the  skin,  and  in  this  way  both 
circulatory  and  nervous  energy  is  directed  to  the  cutaneous 
surface,  for  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  function  required 
of  an  organ  will  be  the  amount  of  expenditure  of  nerve  force 
which  presides  over  that  function.  Now  the  cutaneous 
surface  is  always  in  close  and  sympathetic  correlation  with 
the  respiratory  surface,  and  while  wandering  and  irregular 
nervous  energy  in  the  nervous,  spasmodic  cases  is  thus 
diffused  and  dissipated  at  the  surface  of  the  body,  the  hyper- 
aesthetic  condition  of  the  respiratory  centre  and  its  afferent 
tributaries  is  proportionately  diminished. 

An  attack  of  spasmodic  asthma  may  be  regarded  as  a 
morbid  manifestation  of  misdirected  nervous  energy  often 
reflex  in  origin,  just  as  some  forms  of  hysterical  and  epileptic 
convulsions  may  be ;  by  the  diversion  of  such  wandering 
nerve  energy  to  the  skin,  and  its  diffusion  and  exhaustion  in 


264  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PARTI. 

connection  with  a  natural  physiological  process,  the  nervous 
equilibrium  is  restored,  and  the  tendency  to  spasm  relieved. 
It  is  thus  that  the  spasmodic  nervous  element  in  asthma  is 
attacked. 

Let  us  look  at  the  processes  of  the  Mont  Dore  cure  from 
another  point  of  view.  This  daily  ingestion  of  warm  alkaline 
fluid  taken  together  with  the  profuse  "  sweats "  that  are 
excited  must  have  a  very  remarkable  depurative  influence. 
Retrograde  tissue  changes  must  be  actively  stimulated,  and 
unstable  irritating  substances  which  may  have  accumulated 
in  the  organism  from  disordered  assimilative  processes,  as 
in  gouty  conditions  and  the  like,  must  be  dissolved  and 
eliminated,  so  that  the  treatment  also  attacks  vigorously 
those  states  of  blood  contamination  which  are  at  the  root 
of  many  spasmodic  and  vaso-motor  nervous  affections,  in 
•vhich  category  many  forms  of  asthma  may  be  placed. 

Then  again  in  those  cases  of  asthma  complicated  with 
bronchial  catarrhs,  which  form  by  far  the  greater  proportion 
of  all  cases  of  asthma,  those  cases  in  which  the  morbidly 
increased  secretions  of  the  bronchial  mucous  membrane, 
especially  when  it  is  scanty  and  tenacious,  act  as  excitants  to 
the  hyperassthetic  mucous  membrane  itself,  just  as  a  foreign 
body  would — in  such  cases  we  have  two  obvious  indications 
to  fulfil,  one  to  remove  the  catarrhal  condition  and  free  the 
air  passages  of  accumulated  mucus,  the  other  to  soothe  and 
quiet  the  hyperaesthesia  of  the  bronchial  surface. 

Both  these  indications  appear  to  be  fulfilled  by  the 
processes  in  use  at  Mont  Dore.  The  use  of  pilocarpin  in  the 
treatment  of  catarrhal  asthma  has  shown  to  what  extent  the 
catarrhal  condition  is  relieved  by  excessive  action  of  the  skin, 
and  here  at  Mont  Dore  we  get  excessive  action  of  the  skin 
without  pilocarpin,  a  remedy  far  too  dangerous  and  depress- 
ing for  general  use.  Then  there  is  the  prolonged  daily 
immersion,  for  immersion  it  practically  is,  in  an  atmosphere 
saturated  with  the  hot  vapours  of  the  mineral  water,  which 
bathe  the  pulmonary  mucous  membrane,  moisten  and  thin 
the  secretions  when  dry  and  scanty,  and  in  all  cases  promote 
their  expulsion,  while  they  must  at  the  same  time  exercise  a 
most  soothing  effect  on  the  hyperassthetic  bronchial  surface, 
and  so  tend  directly  to  allay  the  nervous  element  which  is  a 
part  of  every  form  of  asthma  properly  so  called. 

The  action  of  the  mineral  and  gaseous  constituents  of  the 
water  itself  must  not  be  overlooked  ;  the  carbonic  acid,  and 
the  arsenic  (the  very  small  quantity  which  the  water  contains 
is  said  to  be  readily  diffused  in  the  vapour),  and  the  alkaline 
salts  may,  and  probably  do,  exercise  a  most  important 
curative  influence,  but  we  can  see  that  even  without  this  the 
processes  employed  are  energetic  in  their  nature  and  physio- 
logical in  their  action.  For  no  fact  is  now  better  established 


SECT.  B.]  MONTE   CATINI-.  265 

in  therapeutics  than  the  value  of  warm  alkaline  drinks  in  the 
treatment  of  bronchial  catarrhs,  and  this  always  forms  a  part 
of  the  treatment  at  Mont  Dore. . 

There  is  yet  another  condition,  and  that  by  no  means 
an  unimportant  one,  under  the  influence  of  which  these 
processes  are  carried  out.  Mont  Dore  is  3,400  feet  above 
the  sea.  The  atmospheric  pressure,  as  we  have  seen,  is 
reduced,  the  average  height  of  the  barometer  being 
26-6.  The  air  is  much  cooler  and  much  drier  than  on 
the  sea  level;  and  though  fogs  and  mists  are  frequent  in 
bad  seasons,  yet  the  relative  amount  of  watery  vapour 
in  the  atmosphere  of  Mont  Dore,  as  compared  with 
that  of  Paris,  is  as  9-94  to  i5'46.  These  processes,  then,  are 
carried  out  in  a  bracing  air,  in  an  atmosphere  freer  from 
permanent  moisture  than  on  the  sea  level.  It  is  now  a  well- 
known  fact  that  exposure  to  this  kind  of  mountain  air  has  the 
effect  of  greatly  reducing  that  impressionability  to  cold  which 
is  so  common  in  scrofulous  subjects,  and  which  is  at  the  root 
of  their  catarrhal  tendencies ;  while  it  is  especially  tonic  to 
certain  hypefaesthetic  states  of  the  nervous  system.  A 
climate  like  that  of  Mont  Dore  tends  to  diminish  cutaneous 
and  respiratory  sensitiveness,  and  is  therefore  admirably 
suited  for  the  application  of  the  processes  there  in  use  to  the 
cure  of  asthmatic  and  catarrhal  conditions.  The  mountain 
air  is  an  essential  part  of  the  cure.  The  climate  itself  is  a 
nerve  tonic,  and  exercises  no  small  influence  in  the  good 
results  which  are  obtained  there.  We  see,  then,  that  the 
method  of  treatment  pursued  at  Mont  Dore  answers  many 
indications,  and  is  applicable,  from  one  point  of  view  or 
another,  to  nearly  all  cases  of  asthma. 


Monte  Catini,  province  of  Lucca,  Italy,  has 
several  thermal  common  salt  springs.  It  is  a  village 
m  a  picturesque  situation  in  the  Val  di  Nivole,  at 
an  altitude  of  920  feet,  and  has  a  station  on  the 
railway  line  between  Florence  and  Lucca.  It  has 
a  mild  climate,  but  is  very  hot  in  summer.  It  has 
four  bath  establishments.  The  temperature  of  the 
springs  is  not  very  high,  and  varies  between  70° 
and  86°  F.  About  a  dozen  of  the  springs  have 
been  utilised.  The  hottest  of  these  are  the  Thermes 
de  Leopold  with  a  total  mineralisation  of  22*5  per 
litre,  of  which  18-5  is  sodium  chloride,  2'i  calcium 
sulphate,  07  magnesium  chloride,  with  traces  of 
iodides  and  bromides,  and  some  free  carbonic  acid 

T* 


266 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


gas.  These  waters  are  used  for  drinking  and  for 
baths.  Taken  internally  they  are  laxative  and  have 
a  stimulating  effect  on  the  liver  and  the  secretion 
of  bile.  They  are  used  as  baths  in  scrofulous  affec- 
tions and  in  rheumatism;  and  internally  in  gastro- 
hepatic  disorders,  congestion  of  liver  and  spleen, 
biliary  catarrh,  constipation  and  abdominal  plethora, 
dysentery  of  tropical  countries,  gravel  and  vesical 
catarrh.  The  water  is  largely  exported. 
The  season  is  from  May  ist  to  Oct.  ist. 


Mallow,  in  Ireland,  18  miles  from 
Cork,  with  a  station  on  the  line 
between  Dublin  and  Cork,  has  a 
simple  subthermal  spring  of  a  tem- 
perature of  70°  to  72°  F.  The 
place  is  beautifully  situated  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  Blackwater. 
Baths  were  built  there  in  the 
eighteenth  century  by  the  lord  of 
the  soil,  Sir  Denham  Norreys.  It 
was  at  one  time  much  resorted  to 
by  invalids. 

Marcols  (France,  Departement 
Ardeche)  has  a  simple  alkaline 
spring,  containing  sodium  bi-car- 
bonate  2 '6  per  litre. 

Marlioz      See  Aix  les  Bains. 

Martigny  les  Bains  lies  a  few 
miles  from  Contrexeville,  its 
elevation  above  the  sea  (1,200  feet) 
is  some  160  feet  greater,  and  it  is 
well  and  pleasantly  situated.  It 
is  a  small  spa  which  had  fallen 
into  comparative  disuse  until  re- 
vived a  few  years  ago  by  new 
proprietors.  It  now  possesses  a 
new  and  commodious  Etablissement, 
and  is  well  equipped  for  competi- 
tion with  its  better  known  neigh- 
bour. The  number  of  visitors 
has  therefore  largely  increased. 
Its  springs  have  the  same 
composition  as  those  of  Contrexe- 
ville and  Vittel,  sulphate  of  lime 
being  the  chief  constituent,  and 
are  used  in  the  same  cases  and  in 
the  same  manner  and  have  the 
same  physiological  effects,  Mar- 


tigny however  claims  as  an 
especial  recommendation  of  one 
of  its  springs  (Source  No.  i),  that 
it  contains  much  more  lithium 
than  the  Pavilion,  at  Con- 
trexeville, and  is  therefore  better 
adapted  to  the  treatment  of  the 
uric  acid  constitution.  Some  im- 
portance is  also  attached  to  the 
presence  of  silicates  in  these 
waters.  It  is  usual  to  begin  the 
cure  with  somewhat  smaller  doses 
of  the  water  than  those  prescribed 
at  Contrexeville  and  Vittel.  The 
Source  Savonneuse  is  reserved  for 
external  use  in  the  form  of  baths, 
douches,  pulverisations,  injec- 
tions, etc.  Professor  Jacquemir 
terms  this  spring  the  French 
Schlangenbad,  and  thinks  it  equal, 
if  not  superior,  to  the  original. 
It  is  essentially  a  very  quiet  re- 
sort. The  season  is  from  May 
20  to  Sept,  20.  It  is  often  very 
hot  in  the  months  of  July  and 
August,  and  rather  chilly  in  May 
and  at  the  end  of  September.  There 
are  good  hotels,  and  the  usual 
amusements,  theatre,  casino,  petits 
chevaux,  etc.  It  is  about  the 
same  distance  from  Paris  and 
London  as  Contrexeville  —  six 
hours  by  express  from  Paris. 

Meinberg,  in  the  principality  of 
Lippe,  Germany,  in  the  Werre 
valley,  at  an  altitude  of  680  feet, 
and  having  a  railway  station  at 
Horn-Meinberg,  on  the  Herford- 


SECT.  B.]          MITTERBAD—MONSUMANO. 


267 


Altenbecken  line,  has  several 
mineral  springs.  Two  are  simple 
"acidulous,"  i.e.  carbonic  acid, 
wells,  which  are  used  for  drinking 
and  exportation  ;  it  has  also  a 
gaseous  common  salt  spring  con- 
taining 5-5  per  litre  of  sodium 
chloride,  and  this,  aerated  with  car- 
bonic acid,  is  also  drunk ;  it  has 
likewise  special  sulphur  mud  baths 
and  carbonic  acid  dry  gas  baths, 
the  gas  being  collected  from  the 
soil.  This  gas  is  also  combined 
with  vapour-douches,  and  used 
in  making  effervescent  baths ; 
artificial  sulphur,  salt,  and  pine- 
needle  baths  are  prepared.  The 
diseases  treated  at  Meinberg  are 
gout  and  rheumatism,  diseases  of 
the  nervous  system,  and  female 
maladies. 

The  season  is  from  May  20  to 
Sept.  20. 

Melksham,  Wiltshire,  thirteen 
miles  from  Bath,  has  springs 
resembling  those  of  Cheltenham, 
i.e.  containing  common  salt  and  the 
aperient  sulphates.  It  also  has  a 
chalybeate  spring. 

Mendorf,  Grand  Duchy  of 
Luxemburg,  at  an  altitude  of  650 
feet,  has  a  slightly  warm  subthermal 
common  salt  water  (temperature  77° 
F.),  which  contains  sodium  chlo- 
ride 8- 7  and  magnesium  bromide 
3- 1  per  litre.  It  is  used  for  drink- 
ing, inhalations,  and  baths. 

Middlesbrough  brine  wells. 
See  Saltburn-by-the-Sea,  p.  338, 

Middlewich,  Cheshire,  has  biine 
baths. 

Mitterbad,  in  the  Austrian 
Tyrol,  at  an  elevation  of  3,110  feet, 
in  the  picturesque  Meran  valley, 
three  and  a  -  half  hours  from 
Meran,  has  chalybeate  springs 
containing  sulphate  of  iron  and 
small  amounts  of  manganese,  ar- 
senic, strontium,  zinc,  and  copper. 

Moffat,  in  Dumfriesshire,  eight 
and  a-half  hours  from  Euston, 
has  cold  weak  sulphur  waters  and  a 
chalybeate  spring.  The  springs  are 


some  distance  from  Moffat,  which 
is  resorted  to  for  its  good  air  and 
fine  situation.  It  has  a  well-known 
hydropathic  establishment.  The 
climate  is  rainy.  Treatment  there 
is  said  to  prove  useful  in  mild 
forms  of  anaemia  and  in  cases  of 
obstinate  constipation  arising  from 
torpid  liver  in  persons  who  have 
lived  in  hot  countries. 

Molitg. — A  small  thermal  sulphur 
bath,  twenty  hours  from  Paris,  in 
a  fine  situation  in  the  Pyrenees 
Orientales,  about  50  kilometres 
from  Perpignan,  and  rather  more 
than  an  hour's  drive  from  the  sta- 
tion of  Prades.  The  bath  establish- 
ments are  situated  at  the  bottom  of 
a  narrow  gorge,  at  an  elevation  of 
i  ,460  feet.  The  surrounding  coun- 
try is  picturesque  and  mountain- 
ous. Molitg  has  a  mild  and  pleasant 
climate  even  in  winter.  Its  season 
extends  from  May  I  to  Nov.  i. 
It  has  several  springs,  the  charac- 
teristic ingredient  of  which  is 
sodium  sulphide,  0-093  grammes 
to  the  litre.  They  also  contain  a 
small  amount  of  carbonate  of 
sodium  and  silica  and  much 
organic  matter  (glairine),  which 
gives  the  water  a  soft,  unctuous 
feel.  They  vary  in  temperature 
from  70°  to  99°  F. 

When  drunk,  the  water  is  said 
to  promote  appetite,  and  to  act  as 
a  diuretic,  and  to  cause  some 
slight  stimulation  of  the  nervous 
and  vascular  systems.  The  waters 
are  also  used  as  baths,  douches, 
and  pulverisations.  The  con- 
ferva:! and  organic  mud  deposited 
by  the  springs  are  applied  locally. 
Skin  diseases  are  the  cases  mainly 
treated  there,  catarrhal  conditions 
of  the  mucous  membrane  are  also 
benefited  (vesical,  gastro-intestinal 
and  bronchial  catarrhs),  and 
chronic  rheumatism  in  nervous 
and  excitable  subjects. 

Monsumano,  in  the  province  of 
Lucca,  Italy,  in  the  Val  di 
Nievole,  about  half  an  hour's 


268 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


drive  from  the  railway  stations 
Pieve  and  Monte  Catini,  possesses 
a  large  cave  which  is  filled  with 
steam  arising  from  extensive  sur- 
faces of  hot  water,  and  forming  a 
natural  vapour  bath.  Garibaldi 
was  healed  there.  It  is  resorted 
to  by  sufferers  from  rheumatic 
affections,  sciatica,  and  certain 
neuroses .  Patients  find  accommo- 
dation at  Upper  and  Lower 
Monsumano  and  also  at  Monte 
Catini,  which  is  near  at  hand. 
The  season  is  from  May  15  to 
Sept.  15. 

Montegrotto  and  Monte  Ortone 
belong  to  the  "  Euganean 
thermae,"  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Padua,  and  have  feebly 
mineralised  but  very  hot  springs, 
containing  a  little  sodium  chloride 
and  sulphate. 

Montemayor,  a  thermal  sulphur 
spa  in  Spain,  province  of  Caceres, 
in  a  fine  situation  at  an  elevation 
of  2,000  feet,  is  much  frequented 
by  native  patients. 

Montmirail,  a  bath  in  the 
south  of  France,  possessing  a 
source .  rich  in  the  aperient  sul- 
phates of  magnesium  and  sodium, 
a  type  of  mineral  water  rarely 
found  in  France.  It  also  has  a 
cold  sulphur  spring  containing 
calcium  sulphide  as  well  as  a 
ferruginous  source.  The  former 
of  these  waters  is  largely  exported 
as  a  laxative  mineral  water.  It 
contains  9-31  grammes  of  mag- 
nesium sulphate,  5-06  of  sodium 
sulphate,  and  one  gramme  of 
calcium  sulphate  per  litre.  This 
water  is  an  active  purgative  in 
full  doses  of  three  or  four  glasses. 
It  is,  of  course,  reserved  for  drink- 
ing only,  on  the  spot,  and  for 
exportation.  The  sulphur  spring 
is  also  drunk,  as  well  as  used  for 


baths  and  douches.  The  purgative 
source  has  a  green  colour  when 
seen  en  masse  and  hence  it  is  known 
as  I'eau  verte.  Montmirail,  at 
an  elevation  of  580  feet,  is  situated 
at  the  foot  of  Mont  Ventoux, 
Department  of  Vaucluse ;  it  has 
a  station,  Sarrian  Montmirail, 
about  eight  miles  from  Carpentras. 
A  combination  of  the  purgative 
and  sulphur  springs  is  used  there 
in  some  cases  of  gastro-intestinal 
dyspepsias.  The  iron  spring  is 
used  in  cases  of  anaemia  and 
chlorosis.  Respiratory  and  skin 
affections,  syphilis,  and  certain 
forms  of  dysmenorrhoea  are  treated 
there.  The  hotel  and  bath 
establishment  are  combined  in 
the  same  building. 

Montrond,  France,  Department 
Loire,  has  a  simple  alkaline  spring 
(Source  Geyser)  containing  so- 
dium bicarbonate  4-5  per  litre. 

Morgins,  in  Switzerland,  Can- 
ton Valais,  a  three  and  a-half 
hours'  drive  from  the  station  of 
Monthey,  on  the  line  between 
Bouveret  and  St.  Maurice,  is 
situated  at  an  elevation  of  4,300 
feet  and  has  a  weak  chalybeate 
spring  containing  a  large  amount 
of  calcium  sulphate  (2-5  per  litre). 
This  amount  of  sulphate  of  lime 
makes  it  difficult  of  digestion 
sometimes.  The  bath  establish- 
ment provides  baths  and  douches 
of  all  kinds. 

It  is  resorted  to  by  anaemic 
patients  and  sufferers  from  scro- 
fulous disorders. 

Munster-am-Stein  is  situated 
only  a  mile  and  a-half  from 
Kreuznach,  higher  up  the  Nahe 
Valley.  It  has  similar  waters  of 
rather  higher  temperature,  which 
are  used  in  the  same  manner  for 
the  same  maladies. 


Nantwich,   in  Cheshire,   about  four  hours   from 
London,  has   brine  baths  of  the  same  character  as 


SECT.  B.]  NANTWICH.  269 

those  at  Droitwich.  It  is  a  strong  brine  having  a 
density  of  114276.  It  contains,  in  a  litre,  sodium 
chloride  about  210*0,  magnesium  chloride  2*30, 
potassium  chloride  1-90,  calcium  sulphate  6-50, 
and  sodium  sulphate  5*0. 

The  Droitwich  brine  is  stronger,  but  it  is,  there, 
diluted  for  its  baths ;  at  Nantwich  the  brine  is 
heated  by  steam,  and  is  used  therefore  undiluted, 
so  that  the  baths  are  really  stronger  than  those 
at  Droitwich.  They  are,  of  course,  diluted  when 
necessary.  They  are  given  at  a  temperature 
between  98°  and  104°  F.  The  patient,  after  the 
bath,  is  wrapped  in  a  large  towel  and  directed  to 
recline  on  a  couch  until  dry ;  the  salt  is  then  rubbed 
off,  the  patient  dresses  and  returns  to  his  lodgings 
to  rest  for  a  few  hours.  There  are  at  Nantwich 
"The  Old  Baths"  and  "The  New  Baths  "—the  latter 
provide  better  and  more  suitable  accommodation 
than  could  be  obtained  before  their  construction. 
They  are  connected  with  the  Brine  Baths  Hotel, 
and  can  be  reached  from  that  building  through  a 
corridor,  so  that  patients  need  not  go  into  the  open 
air  in  passing  to  and  from  the  baths. 

The  therapeutic  indications  are  the  same  as 
those  at  Droitwich ;  cases  of  muscular  rheumatism, 
lumbago,  and  sciatica  appear  to  be  most  benefited 
there. 

The  joint  pains  left  after  attacks  of  acute  rheu- 
matism are  usually  relieved,  but  the  presence  of 
serious  valvular  lesions  would  counter-indicate  this 
treatment. 

The  baths  are  open  all  the  year  round,  but  the 
best  season  for  the  cure  is  from  the  beginning  of  May 
to  the  end  of  September. 

The  climate  of  Nantwich  is  said  to  be  mild, 
dry,  and  equable,  with  an  annual  rainfall  of  only 
20*34  inches  and  146  rainy  days. 

Nauheim,  in  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Hesse,  is  one 
of  the  most  important  salt  baths  in  Germany. 


270  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I, 

It  is  situated  at  an  elevation  of  400  feet,  at  the 
foot  of  a  fine  wooded  hill,  the  Johannisberg,  one 
of  the  outlying  spurs  of  the  Taunus,  at  a  distance  of 
about  twenty  miles  from  Frankfort,  an  hour  by  rail. 

Of  its  springs,  three  are  used  exclusively  for 
bathing  and  two  for  drinking.  The  three  bathing 
springs  are  hot,  and  issue  from  the  ground  at  a 
temperature  varying  from  82°  to  96°  F.  They  also 
contain  an  abundance  of  carbonic  acid,  and  one 
of  them  shoots  out  of  the  ground  with  great  force 
and  with  much  bubbling  and  foaming,  and  sometimes 
rises  in  a  jet  to  a  height  of  about  44  feet.  This 
is  the  Frederick-William  Sprudel,  a  very  important 
spring,  on  account  of  the  quantity  of  common  salt 
it  contains  (its  chief  solid  constituents  are,  per  litre, 
sodium  chloride  20  to  30  grammes,  calcium  chloride 
2  to  3  grammes,  and  some  bicarbonate  of  iron), 
and  also  of  its  warmth  (96*4°  F.),  and  of  its  richness 
in  carbonic  acid,  48,000  cubic  feet  of  this  gas  escaping 
in  twenty-four  hours.  The  combination  of  these 
three  properties  —  high  temperature,  richness  in 
common  salt,  and  carbonic  acid — renders  it  unique 
among  European  mineral  springs.  The  two  drinking 
springs,  the  Kurbrunnen  and  the  Carlsbrunnen, 
are  weaker,  though  these  are  too  strong  to  be 
drunk  pure  in  most  cases.  They  contain  per  litre 
10  to  15  grammes  of  sodium  chloride,  and  i  gramme 
of  calcium  chloride,  and  enough  free  carbonic  acid 
gas  to  make  them  effervescent.  They  are  tepid 
or  lukewarm.  The  Ludwigsbrunnen  is  a  weakly 
mineralised  water  used  as  a  table-water  and  for 
diluting  the  preceding.  There  is  also  another  spring 
in  the  neighbourhood,  the  Schwalheimerbrunnen, 
which  contains  a  little  iron  and  only  1*3  of  sodium 
chloride,  and  being  gaseous  is  also  used  as  a  table- 
water  ;  both  these  are  bottled  for  use. 

The  bathing  springs  are  used  of  their  natural 
temperature  and  composition  ;  very  rarely  they  are 
made  stronger,  as  at  Kreuznach,  by  the  addition 
of  "  mother  lye." 


SECT.  B.j  NAUHEIM.  271 

The  baths  given  are  of  different  kinds.  First, 
the  simple  salt  bath  at  different  temperatures,  from 
which  the  carbonic  acid  has  been  allowed  to  escape  ; 
second,  the  effervescent  bath,  "  sprudel  bath";  and 
thirdly,  the  effervescent  wave  bath,  or  sprudel  stream 
bath,  fresh  gaseous  brine  running  directly  from 
the  spring  into  the  baths  at  one  end  and  a 
similar  quantity  running  out  at  the  other  during 
the  whole  course  of  the  bath.  This  kind  of  bath 
is  highly  stimulating  and  has  to  be  employed  with 
caution,  for  by  constantly  surrounding  the  body 
with  fresh  brine  and  fresh  carbonic  acid,  a  highly 
exciting  effect  is  produced  on  the  nerves  of  the  skin. 
In  some  cases  it '  is  found  necessary  to  dilute  the 
mineral  water  before  using  it  in  the  baths,  on 
account  of  the  irritating  effect  it  produces  on  the 
skin;  while  in  other  cases,  where  it  is  thought 
necessary  to  produce  very  active  stimulation  of  the 
skin,  "  mother  lye  "  is  added  to  make  it  stronger. 

Rooms  for  inhalation  are  provided  where  the 
patients  can  inhale  the  spray  of  the  pulverised 
brine. 

The  abundance  of  carbonic  acid  gas  set  free 
from  the  springs  has  led  to  the  use  of  a  gas  bath 
at  this  spa.  The  patient  sits  enveloped  up  to  the 
neck  in  an  atmosphere  of  carbonic  acid  gas,  and 
in  some  cases  of  gout  it  has  proved  serviceable. 

There  are  "  gradirhauser "  at  Nauheim,  as  at 
Reichenhall  and  Kreuznach,  near  which  patients  can 
sit  to  inhale  the  salt  spray. 

With  regard  to  the  diseases  treated  at  Nauheim, 
it  has  been  so  much  the  custom  recently  to  regard 
that  spa  as  specially  adapted  to  the  treatment  of 
heart  disease  that  it  has  been  to  some  extent  for- 
gotten that  it  may  also  be  taken  as  a  type  of  a 
strong  salt  spa — a  Sool  bath,  as  it  is  called  in 
Germany— and  from  that  point  of  view  it  will  be 
interesting  to  inquire  what  are  its  uses  and  value, 
and  especially  in  what  respects  it  differs  from  hot 
and  cold  sea-water  baths.  First  come  the  various 


272  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

forms  of  scrofulous  and  rachitic  diseases,  and  of 
these  scrofulous  eczema  seems  to  have  been  specially 
benefited,  as  well  as  cases  of  eczema  in  which  there 
was  no  observable  taint  of  scrofula.  This  cure  of 
eczema  often  occurs  as  an  after-effect. 

In  scrolulous  affections  of  the  glands  and  of  the 
joints,  the  nightly  application  of  the  salt  water  or 
the  "mother  lye"  to  the  parts  affected  has  been 
found  highly  useful,  but  in  many  cases  of  scrofula, 
especially  when  associated  with  much  debility,  and 
when  there  is  danger  of  over  stimulating  a  feeble 
and  irritable  nervous  system,  sea  air  and  sea  baths 
are  far  more  applicable,  as  the  late  Protessor  Beneke 
of  Nauheim  taught.  It  is  in  certain  forms  of  gout, 
rheumatism,  and  neuralgia  that  these  salt  springs 
are  said  to  be  specially  efficacious. 

The  salt  baths  also  promote  the  absorption  of 
secretions  and  thickenings  resulting  from  acute 
and  chronic  rheumatism. 

Cases  of  chronic  catarrh  of  the  respiratory  pas- 
sages, of  chronic  gastro-intestinal  catarrh,  of  such 
female  maladies  as  are  sent  to  other  salt  baths,  of 
neurasthenia  and  protracted  convalescence,  are  often 
treated  at  Nauheim  with  benefit.  Most  forms  of 
dyspepsia  are  perhaps  better  treated  elsewhere. 

Paralysis  dependent  upon  undoubted  changes 
in  the  nervous  centres  themselves  are  not  benefited 
by  the  Nauheim  baths  ;  but  if  the  paralysis  depends 
on  rheumatic  affections  of  the  coverings  of  the 
nervous  centres,  then  improvement  often  follows. 

One  great  advantage  of  these  Sprudel  baths  is 
that,  owing  to  the  combined  stimulating  effect  of 
the  salt  and  carbonic  acid  on  the  skin,  persons  can 
remain  much  longer  in  the  baths  and  at  a  lower 
temperature  than  in  other  baths.  Sea  baths  lack 
the  presence  of  carbonic  acid,  and  cold  sea  baths 
cannot  be  supported  for  any  length  of  time. 

The  stimulation  of  the  circulation  following  these 
Sprudel  baths  has  been  referred  to  a  "  reflex  action  " 
starting  from  the  skin,  which  is  stimulated  by  the  com- 


SECT.  B.J  NAUHEIM.  273 

bined  action  of  the  salt,  the  bubbles  of  carbonic  acid, 
and  the  movement  of  the  water  in  the  stream  bath. 
The  salt  water  has  also  been  said  to  "  soak  through  " 
the  superficial  layers  of  the  epidermis,  and  so  to 
reach  the  nerve-endings  in  the  skin,  and  act  upon 
them  as.  a  chemical  irritant.  The  carbonic  acid 
and  the  movements  of  the  water  act  as  mechanical 
irritants. 

More  than  thirty  years  ago  the  late  Professor 
Beneke  made  known  the  fact  that  the  heart  affec- 
tions resulting  from  attacks  of  rheumatic  fever,  so 
far  from  counter-indicating  the  use  of  these  salt 
baths,  as  was  formerly  supposed,  were  especially 
benefited  by  a  careful  application  of  them.  He 
had  observed  the  valvular  defects  in  some  instances 
apparently  removed,  and  in  most  cases  the  natural 
effort  at  compensation  greatly  aided ;  while  the 
pulse,  instead  of  being  accelerated,  was  usually 
diminished  from  six  to  ten  beats  in  the  minute. 

These  temperate  and  cautious  conclusions  of 
Professor  Beneke  with  regard  to  the  applicability 
of  the  Nauheim  baths  to  the  treatment  of  certain 
forms  of  cardiac  disease  did  not  immediately  attract 
general  attention,  but  they  were  destined,  after  a 
lapse  of  some  years,  to  be  succeeded  by  a  period 
of  exaggeration  and  systematic  publicity  which  has 
rarely  been  equalled. 

The  combination  of  the  employment  of  gaseous 
salt  baths  and  "  resisted  movements,"  which  is  now 
known  as  "  Nauheim  treatment,"  owes  its  existence 
and  modern  development  to  the  brothers  Schott, 
and  its  wide  popularity  to  a  host  of  imitators  that 
have  sprung  up  in  nearly  every  health  resort  and 
every  city  in  Europe  and  out  of  Europe.  That  this 
method — at  any  rate,  so  far  as  the  baths  are  con- 
cerned, and  to  the  extent  taught  by  Beneke — has  a 
just  and  rational  foundation  there  can  be  no  doubt ; 
but  as  to  the  value  of  the  "  resisted  movements,"  except 
as  an  occupation  and  diversion  for  introspective, 
nervous,  and  exacting  patients,  we  own  we  are 


274  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

sceptical,  and  our  doubts  on  this  point  are,  we  are 
aware,  shared  by  many  acknowledged  authorities 
on  cardiac  affections.  We  shall  have  to  refer  in  a 
later  chapter  to  the  general  question  of  the  treatment 
of  heart  disease  by  mineral  baths.  It  will  be  well  to 
state  here  how  it  is  carried  out  at  Nauheim. 

In  beginning  the  baths  much  care  is  needful.  It 
is  usual  to  begin  with  i  per  cent,  simple  salt  baths  free 
from  carbonic  acid,  and  at  a  temperature  of  92°  to 
95°  F.  ;  the  baths  lasting  at  first  only  six  to  eight 
minutes.  They  should  also  frequently  be  omitted 
for  a  day.  It  is  customary  gradually  to  reduce  the 
temperature  at  which  the  baths  are  taken,  daily, 
until,  in  appropriate  cases,  a  temperature  of  85*5°  F. 
is  reached  ;  at  the  same  time  the  mineral  strength 
of  the  water  and  the  period  of  immersion  are  slowly 
increased.  Later  on  the  Sprudel  bath  is  applied 
in  cases  that  are  judged  suitable,  and  lastly,  if  the 
patient  is  thought  to  be  in  a  condition  to  bear  it, 
the  highly  stimulating  "  sprudel  stream "  bath. 
About  six  weeks,  or  even  longer,  is  considered  need- 
ful for  the  cure. 

The  "  resistance  "  exercises*  are  applied  by  the 
medical  or  other  skilled  attendant. 

Neris,  a  well-known  bath  of  high  temperature 
and  feeble  mineralisation  belonging  to  the  indeter- 
minate thermal  group  (French  classification),  is 
situated  in  Central  France,  not  far  from  Mont- 
lucon,  in  the  department  of  Allier,  and  is  especially 
applied  in  the  treatment  of  diseases  of  the  nervous 
system,  and  less  specially  to  diseases  of  women 
and  rheumatic  affections. 

Neris  is  built  on  a  plateau  in  a  pleasant  situation, 
about  five  miles  from  Montlucon,  at  an  altitude  of 
about  1,200  feet  above  the  sea.  It  has  a  mild  and 

*  A  detailed  schedule  of  these  exercises ""  and  directions 
for  the  preparation  of  artificial  Nauheim  baths  will  be  found 
in  the  author's  "  Manual  of  Medical  Treatment,"  new 
edition,  vol.  i.,  pp.  400-401. 


SECT.  B.]  NERIS.  275 

equable  climate.  The  springs  are  collected  into  six 
wells,  all  proceeding  doubtless  from  the  same  sheet 
of  water,  and  have  a  nearly  identical  chemical  com- 
position, but  vary  in  temperature  between  about  110° 
and  126°  F. 

The  Puits  Cesar  is  the  one  chiefly  used.  The 
water  is  clear,  odourless,  and  tasteless,  and  has 
an  unctuous  feeling.  It  gives  off  bubbles  of  carbonic 
acid  and  nitrogen  gases.  Its  unctuous  feeling  de- 
pends on  the  amount  of  organic  matter  it  contains, 
and  which  forms  a  kind  of  gelatinous  precipitate  in 
the  reservoirs,  and  gives  rise  to  the  growth  of 
magnificent  confervae.  The  solids  in  this  water  are 
small  in  quantity,  not  amounting  to  more  than  1-27 
gramme  per  litre,  and  consist  chiefly  of  sodium 
bicarbonate,  calcium  bicarbonate,  sodium  sulphate, 
and  sodium  chloride,  and  traces  of  fluoride  of  sodium. 
The  chief  characteristics  of  this  water  are  its  high 
temperature  and  its  richness  in  nitrogen  gas  and 
organic  matter.  It  has,  however,  been  calculated 
that  though  it  contains  only  about  6  grains  of  sodium 
bicarbonate  in  a  litre,  as  there  are  400  litres  in  a 
bath,  such  a  bath  would  contain  about  5  oz.  of  this 
salt  ! 

Neris  has  two  bath  establishments,  the  smaller 
one  being  devoted  to  patients  of  the  poorer  classes. 
The  waters  are  but  little  drunk ;  they  are  mainly 
used  as  baths,  douches,  irrigations,  and  vapours,  and 
the  confervas  are  sometimes  applied  locally.  Baths 
are  the  chief  agents  in  the  cure,  and  are  given  either 
in  ordinary  baths,  or  in  large  baths  in  common 
(piscines).  Their  duration  varies  greatly  according 
to  the  case — from  a  few  minutes  to  an  hour,  and  in 
some  special  cases  two  or  more  hours.  The  tem- 
perature most  frequently  employed  is  from  92°  to 
95°  F.  Suitable  apparatus  are  provided  for  applying 
irrigations,  vaginal,  rectal,  nasal,  etc.  Vapour  baths, 
general  or  partial,  and  vapour  douches  are  also  given. 
The  local  use  of  the  confervae  is  not  so  common  as 
formerly,  but  they  are  sometimes  used  as  poultices 


27 6  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I. 

and  frictions  in  rheumatic  affections,  and  combined 
with  local  baths  in  certain  diseases  of  the  skin  and 
especially  of  the  nails. 

Various  auxiliary  means  of  treatment  are  at  the 
disposal  of  the  physicians,  such  as  the  ordinary 
methods  of  hydrotherapy,  massage,  douche-mas- 
sage, gymnastics,  and  physical  exercises,  electricity, 
etc. 

The  first  effect  of  the  baths  is  to  produce,  in 
many,  some  general  excitement  of  the  system — 
feverish  discomfort,  headache,  prostration,  sleepless- 
ness, together  with  an  aggravation  of  the  symptoms 
of  the  patient's  malady  ;  this  is  termed  by  the  local 
doctors  "  la  crise  thermale."  It  comes  on  at  varying 
periods  from  the  third  to  the  sixth  or  tenth  day,  and 
sometimes  not  at  all,  and  is  followed  by  the  sedative 
effect  looked  for  from  the  treatment.  As  already 
mentioned,  it  is  in  diseases  of  the  nervous  system 
that  the  cure  at  Neris  is  especially  indicated :  the 
contractures  and  hemichoreic  symptoms  following 
hemiplegia  ;  locomotor  ataxia,  at  the  early  stage,  when 
the  acute  painful  symptoms  predominate,  insomnia, 
gastric  crises,  lightning  pains,  etc.  General  paralysis 
at  its  onset,  disseminated  sclerosis,  spasmodic  para- 
plegia, myelitis  from  cold  or  injury,  peripheral  neuritis, 
toxic  and  traumatic ;  facial  and  other  peripheral 
paralyses,  all  forms  of  neuralgia,  muscular  spasm,  and 
professional  cramps ;  the  various  neuroses,  hysteria, 
chorea,  neurasthenia,  exophthalmic  goitre  in  its  early 
stages,  migraine,  etc.  Amongst  the  diseases  of  women 
treated  at  Neris,  special  mention  may  be  made  of 
genital  neuroses,  coccydynia,  pelvic  inflammations, 
etc.  .  Rheumatic  cases  are  treated  in  the  same 
manner  as  at  other  hyperthermal  baths. 

The  season  at  Neris  is  from  May  isth  to  Sept. 
3oth,  but  the  most  favourable  part  of  the  season 
is  from  June  i5th  to  Sept.  i5th. 

Chamblet-Neris,  the  nearest  railway  station,  is 
distant  about  three  miles,  and  is  reached  in  six  hours 
by  express  trains  from  Paris  during  the  season. 


SECT.  B.]  NEUENAHR.  277 

Neuenahr  is  situated  in  the  valley  of  the  Ahr, 
a  small  river  which  joins  the  Rhine  at  Sinzig,  a  little 
above  Remagen,  and  about  midway  between  Bonn 
and  Coblenz.  Neuenahr  has  a  station  on  the  railway 
that  runs  between  Remagen  and  Altenahr.  Remagen 
is  an  hour  and  a-half  s  railway  journey  from  Cologne. 
The  adjacent  Apollinarisberg  commands  an  exquisite 
piece  of  Rhine  scenery. 

The  Ahr  valley  is  wide  and  bounded  by  low 
and  gently  sloping  hills ;  only  one  considerable  hill, 
the  Landskron,  is  remarkable,  as  it  stands  alone, 
a  truncated  cone  of  basaltic  rock  about  900  feet  high, 
and  forms  a  very  prominent  object.  Near  this  rock 
we  pass  the  Apollinarisbrunnen,  the  source  of  the 
Apollinaris  water. 

The   baths    at   Neuenahr  are   in    the    Kurhaus, 
and    are    well    organised,   and   furnished    with    the 
usual  array  of  douches  of  all  kinds.     The  springs 
at     Neuenahr    belong    to     the     group     of    simple 
alkaline   waters.     They   are   warm,   and   contain   a 
considerable  quantity  of  carbonic  acid.     This  gas  is 
allowed  to    escape    freely    into    the    air    from  the 
principal  spring,  which  is  thus  seen  to  seethe  and 
boil  and  foam  as  it  pours  from  its  source   into   a 
basin,  around  which  a  well-shaped  inclosure  is  built. 
Here  the  carbonic  acid  can  be  seen  to  form  a  dense 
and  dangerous    atmosphere    over    and   around  the 
spring.     There  are  probably  great  quantities  of  this 
gas  stored  up,   a  little  below   the   surface,  in  this 
part  of  the  valley,  and  it  is  noticed  in  consequence 
that  in  many  of  the  houses   mice  are  never  found. 
There  are  four  springs  in  use — the  chief  of  these  are 
the   Victoria-   and  the   Grosser-sprudeL     The  tem- 
perature  of  the  latter  is   104°   F. ;    the  others  are 
not  so   hot.     A   litre   of  the   water   contains   about 
nine  grains  of  bicarbonate  of  sodium  and  four  and  a- 
half  of  carbonate  of  magnesium,  besides   lime   and 
small   quantities   of   common   salt   and   sulphate   of 
sodium    and   a  minute   amount   of  iron — about    12 
milligrammes  in  a  litre, 


278  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

These  are  the  only  hot  simple  alkaline  springs 
found  in  Germany.  They  are  analogous  to  the 
Vichy  springs,  although  not  nearly  so  strong. 

The  uses  of  these  springs  are  various,  depending 
on  their  mildly  solvent  alkaline  action,  so  that  they 
are  especially  applicable  to  cases  of  biliary  and 
urinary  concretions  and  their  consequences  ;  to  cases 
of  atonic  gout,  and  especially  those  in  which 
the  stronger  alkaline  and  saline  springs  are  counter- 
indicated.  Cases  of  gout  which  require  very  gentle 
treatment,  and  which  support  badly  the  depletory 
effects  of  stronger  mineral  waters  --  cases,  for 
example,  associated  with  a  weak  heart  and  feeble 
circulation — these  are  well  suited  to  treatment  at 
Neuenahr. 

Cases  of  chronic  rheumatism  are  treated  there, 
and  notably  that  which  produces  great  deformity 
and  crippling  of  the  joints  (arthritis  deformans). 
Remarkably  good  results  have  been  observed  from 
the  use  of  the  Grossersprudel,  followed  by  massage, 
in  some  of  these  distressing  deformities.  Of  chest 
diseases,  cases  of  chronic  bronchial  catarrh  are 
much  benefited,  so  are  certain  cases  of  chronic 
Bright' s  disease.  There  are  suitable  arrangements 
for  inhaling  the  pulverised  water  in  respiratory 
affections,  as  at  Ems.  Forms  of  dyspepsia  with 
obesity,  or  fatty  liver,  and  associated  with  a  feeble 
heart,  are  better  treated  there  than  by  the  stronger 
courses  of  Marienbad  or  Carlsbad.  But  it  is,  above 
all  things,  to  the  successful  treatment  of  diabetes 
that  Neuenahr  owes  its  great  and  increasing  re- 
putation. It  does  not  pretend,  however,  to  cure  the 
grave  forms.  Some  diabetic  patients  begin  by  drink- 
ing enormous  quantities  of  the  water,  which  they 
gladly  do  to  quench  the  intolerable  thirst  from 
which  they  suffer. 

The  cases  of  diabetes  best  suited  to  treatment 
there  are  those  associated  with  the  uric  acid  diathesis. 
With  regard  to  the  climate  of  Neuenahr,  it  is  said 
to  be  very  dry  and  healthy,  and  to  have  a  very  even 


SECT.  B.]        NENNDORF— NEU-RAGOCZI. 


279 


temperature;  but,  in  common  with  much  of  the 
Rhine  district,  the  p'ace  is  subject  at  times  to  heavy 
morning  mists.  In  summer  there  is  generally  a  cur- 
rent of  air  blowing  along  the  valley,  but  from  the 
position  of  the  town,  with  protection  on  the  north 
by  vine-covered  hills  and  on  the  south  by  wooded 
heights,  it  is  usually  warm.  The  tortuous  rocky 
defile  below  Altenahr  closes  the  valley  on  the  west, 
and  there  are  no  side  valleys  by  which  eddies  and 
cold  currents  may  be  produced.  During  the  spring 
and  summer  the  wind  is  usually  from  the  south- 
west or  south,  and,  coming  over  great  woodland 
districts,  is  pure  and  refreshing,  but  never  cold. 

The  season  is  from  May  to  October.     There  is 
very  good  hotel  accommodation. 


Nenndorf,  near  Hanover,  and 
in  the  province  of  Hanover, 
adjoining  the  village  of  Gross- 
Nenndorf,  has  cold  sulphur  springs. 
There  is  also  a  salt  well  in  the 
neighbouring  village,  Soldorf. 
Nenndorf  is  situated  in  a  well- 
wooded  country,  at  an  altitude 
of  230  feet.  The  Trinkquelle, 
the  richest  in  sulphur,  is  the  only 
spring  used  for  drinking,  and 
contains,  in  addition  to  I-Q  per 
litre  calcium  sulphate,  sodium 
sulphide  o-o6  and  H2S  42  vols. 

The  brine  from  Soldorf.  which 
is  used  for  baths,  contains  6o-o  per 
litre  of  sodium  chloride  and  a 
trace  of  H2S.  It  is  often  forti- 
fied with  Mutterlauge. 

A  Nenndorf  sulphur  soap  is 
made  from  the  precipitate  of  the 
Badequelle.  Sulphurous  mud 
baths  are  also  prepared  from  large 
mud  beds  near  at  hand.  Inhala- 
tion of  the  gases  emitted  from  the 
sulphur  springs  is  also  prescribed. 

The  cases  treated  there  are 
chronic  rheumatism  and  gout, 
skin  diseases,  catarrhs  of  the 
respiratory  passages,  asthma, 
scrofulous  affections  of  the  joints 


and  other  organs,  metallic  intoxi- 
cations, female  maladies.  The 
season  is  from  May  I  to  Oct.  i. 

Neuenhain,  close  to  Soden,  near 
Frankfort-am-Main,  has  a  gaseous 
chalybeate  spring,  containing  0^04 
per  litre  of  bicarbonate  of  iron. 

Neuhaus,  Bavaria,  in  the  valley 
of  the  Saale,  near  Neustadt  railway 
station,  and  at  the  foot  of  the  Salz- 
burg, has  cold  gaseous  common  salt 
wells  containing  9-0  to  1-5  per  litre 
of  sodium  chloride.  There  are  also 
simple  gaseous  springs  used  as 
table  waters  ;  mud  baths  are  pre- 
pared there.  It  is  a  small  bath, 
chiefly  of  local  interest.  Season, 
middle  of  May  to  end  of  Sep- 
tember. 

Neuhaus,  in  Styria,  in  an  agree- 
able situation  at  an  altitude  of  i  ,200 
feet,  near  Tiiffer  and  the  railway 
station  of  Cilli,  has  indifferent  ther- 
mal springs  of  a  temperature  of 
98°  F.,and  a  chalybeate  spring. 

Neu-Ragoczi,  named  after  the 
well-known  spring  at  Kissingen, 
is  situated  in  the  province  of 
Saxony,  at  an  hour's  distance  from 
the  railway  station  of  Halle-on- 
the-Saale,  and  possesses  common 


280 


MINERAL    SPRINGS-. 


[PART  i. 


salt  waters  (sodium  chloride  io'o 
per  litre)  containing  a  little  iron 
and  much  nitrogen  gas.  The 
waters  are  used  for  drinking  and 
for  baths,  and  the  nitrogen  is 
collected  for  inhalations. 

Neus  tadt  -  Ebers  walde ,  beauti- 
fully situated  in  Mark  Branden- 
burg, Germany,  at  an  altitude  of 
100  feet,  is  a  summer  resort,  with 
chalybeate  waters  poor  in  carbonic 
acid  gas. 

Niederbronn,  in  Alsace,  on  the 
eastern  slopes  of  the  Vosges 
mountains,  at  an  altitude  of  620 
feet,  with  a  station  on  the  Strass- 
burg,  -  Hagenau  -  Saargemund 
railway,  has  common  salt  wells, 
only  one  of  which  is  used,  the 
Niederbronner  -  mineral  -  wasser- 
quelle,  of  a  temperature  of  64°  F. 
It  contains  sodium  chloride  3-0, 
calcium  chloride  0-6,  and  bicar- 
bonate of  iron  o'oi  per  litre.  It 
is  said  also  to  contain  a  small 
amount  of  lithium.  There  are 
baths  in  the  hotels  and  private 


houses.  The  water  is  also  used 
for  drinking,  inhaling,  and 
gargling.  Niederbronn  has  an 
ancient  reputation  for  the  treat- 
ment of  gastro-hepatic  and  intes- 
tinal troubles,  catarrhal  jaundice, 
haemorrhoids,  renal  and  cutaneous 
affections,  scrofula  and  female 
maladies.  The  season  is  from 
May  i  to  Oct.  i. 

Niederlangenau.  See  Lange- 
nau,  p.  251. 

Niedernau,  in  the  Wiirtemberg 
Black  Forest,  having  a  station  on 
the  Suttgart-Tiibingen-Horb  line, 
is  situated  in  a  side  valley  of  the 
Neckar  valley,  at  an  elevation  of 
nearly  1,200  feet,  and  has  several 
cold  chalybeate  springs,  rich  in 
free  carbonic  acid,  of  which  the 
Stahlquelle  is  the  strongest. 
Franzensbad  Moor  baths  and 
carbonic  acid  baths  are  also 
provided.  It  is  a  small  spa,  in 
which  are  treated  cases  of  anaemia, 
chlorosis,  neurasthenia,  and  female 
maladies. 


Oeynhausen,  or  Rehme-Oeynhausen,  now  gener- 
ally known  by  the  former  name,  is  a  well-known 
warm  gaseous  common  salt  bath  in  Westphalia,  having 
much  in  common  with  Bad  Nauheim.  It  is  situated 
on  the  river  Werre  at  an  altitude  of  230  feet  and  has 
a  station  on  the  line  from  Cologne  to  Berlin,  four  and 
a-half  hours  from  the  former  city. 

It  has  three  warm  common  salt  wells,  to  which 
must  now  be  added  a  fourth,  bored  in  1898  and 
named  the  Kaiser- Wilhelmsprudel.  These  wells 
are  very  rich  in  free  carbonic  acid,  and  vary  in  tem- 
perature from  77°  to  92°  F.  They  contain  per  litre 
31  to  34  grammes  of  sodium  chloride,  also  sodium 
and  calcium  sulphate,  about  3  grammes  of  each,  and 
nearly  1,000  volumes  of  carbonic  acid  gas.  There  is 
also  a  cold  salt  spring,  the  Biilowbrunnen,  containing 
a  large  quantity  of  sodium  chloride,  which  is  used 
for  baths  and  for  the  extraction  of  salt  and  the  pre- 


SECT.    B.] 


OEYNHAUSEN. 


281 


paration  of  Mutterlauge.  Very  complete  bath 
arrangements  exist  there,  and  by  blending  together 
the  waters  of  the  different  wells  and  by  artificial 
heating,  baths  can  be  given  of  various  strengths,  in 
salt  and  gas,  and  of  different  temperatures. 

The  diseases  amenable  to  treatment  at  Nauheim 
can  also  be  treated  as  advantageously  at  Oeynhausen, 
where  springs  of  precisely  the  same  composition 
exist  and  the  same  methods  of  applying  them 
prevail ;  therefore  the  same  therapeutic  indications 
apply  to  both  these  spas  ;  but  while  Nauheim  has 
been  diverted  to  the  special  treatment  of  cardiac 
affections,  Oeynhausen  has  been  specialised  in  the 
direction  of  the  treatment  of  diseases  of  the  nervous 
system.  The  season  is  from  May  i5th  to  the  end  of 
September,  but  there  is  also  a  winter  season. 


Oberlahnstein-am-Bhein    has  a 

gaseous  spring,  the  Victoria- 
brunnen,  containing  small 
amounts  of  sodium  bicarbonate 
and  chloride.  It  is  exported  as  a 
table-water,  a  part  of  the  carbonic 
acid  which  has  escaped  being 
added  to  the  water  on  filling  the 
bottles. 

Obersalzbrunn  (Bad-Salzbrunn) 
is  situated  in  Silesia,  about  two 
hours  by  rail  from  Breslau  and 
six  from  Berlin.  It  lies  on  the 
River  Salzbach,  at  an  elevation  of 
1,320  feet.  Its  chief  spring,  the 
Oberbrunnen,  is  a  cold  alkaline 
spring  containing  2-15  grammes 
of  bicarbonate  of  sodium  in  a  litre, 
o-oi  of  bicarbonate  of  lithium,  and 
0-45  of  sulphate  of  sodium,  and  a 
considerable  amount  of  free  car- 
bonic acid  gas.  Its  mild,  mountain 
climate,  dust-free  air,  and  forest 
walks  are  considered  to  augment 
the  value  of  the  mineral  water. 
Milk  and  whey  cures  are  also 
carried  out.  Baths,  mineral  and 
medicated,  massage,  gymnastics, 
and  a  pneumatic  inhalatorium 
will  likewise  be  found.  The 


diseases  treated  there  are  catarrh 
of  the  respiratory  organs, 
bronchial  asthma  and  emphy- 
sema, stomach  and  intestinal 
catarrhs,  gallstones,  disease  as- 
sociated with  the  uric  acid 
diathesis,  gout,  chronic  renal  dis- 
ease, diabetes,  obesity.  The  season 
lasts  from  May  i  to  Sept.  30. 
The  much  advertised  Kronenquelle 
is  a  proprietary  spring  in  this 
resort.  It  is  used  chiefly  for 
exportation,  and  claims  to  be 
especially  rich  in  lithium.  It  is 
really  but  feebly  mineralised,  and 
only  contains  O-QI  gramme  of 
bicarbonate  of  lithium  in  a  litre. 

Obladis.     See  Ladis,  p.  250. 

Offenbach-am-Main,  four  miles 
from  Frankfort,  has  a  cold  alkaline 
common  salt  spring,  containing  so- 
dium bicarbonate  2-4  and  sodium 
chloride  i-2,  and  lithium  bicarbo- 
nate 0-019  Per  litre.  It  is  exclu- 
sively exported. 

Oldesloe,  in  the  province  of 
Schleswig-Holstein,  has  cold  com- 
mon salt  and  sulphur  springs  and 
mud  baths. 

Olette     (Pyrenees    Orientales), 


282 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


reached  by  rail  from  Perpignan 
to  Prades,  thence  by  carriage 
drive  of  about  .  ten  miles,  is 
a  sulphur  spring  containing 
sodium  sulphide.  There  is  a 
good  bath  establishment,  2,300 
feet  above  the  sea-level,  with 
all  the  appliances  usually  found  in 
such  institutions.  The  springs, 
of  which  there  are  many,  are 
warm,  and  vary  in  temperature 
from  80°  to  170°  F.  They  are  of 
feeble  mineralisation,  and  resemble 
in  their  properties  and  uses  the 
other  numerous  sulphur  springs 
of  that  region.  Interesting  walks 
and  excursions  abound. 

The  climate  is  like  that  of 
mountain  districts  generally,  there 
being  a  considerable  difference 
between  day  and  night  tempera- 
ture. The  waters  are  drunk  and 
used  as  baths,  douches,  and  in- 
halations, and  are  applied  in  all 
forms  of  rheumatism,  in  respira- 
tory catarrhal  affections,  and  in 
gastric  and  vesical  catarrh ;  also 
in  surgical  cases,  especially  the 
consequences  of  injuries,  and  in 
certain  neuroses. 

The  season  is  from  June  i  to 
Sept.  30. 

Ontaneda,  a  thermal  sulphur  spa 
in  Spain,  in  the  province  of  San- 
tander. 


Orb,  a  cold  gasc.us  brine  bath  in 
the  Prussian  province  of  Hesse- 
Nassau,  five  kilometres  from  the 
railway  station  of  Wichtersbach, 
on  the  Frankfort  and  Bebra  line. 
It  is  applied  in  the  same  diseases 
and  by  the  same  processes  as  other 
waters  of  the  same  kind. 

Orezza,  in  Corsica,  has  two 
cold  gaseous  strong  ferruginou  s 
springs,  the  water  of  which  is 
largely  exported.  The  village  of 
Orezza  is  situated  in  the  moun- 
tains in  the  interior  of  Corsica, 
at  an  altitude  of  nearly  2,000  feet, 
thirty-two  kilometres  from  the 
railway  station,  Ponte  allaLeccia, 
on  the  line  from  Bastia  to  Ajaccio. 
The  patients  lodge  in  localities 
near  the  springs.  These  springs 
are  rich  in  bicarbonate  of  iron, 
0-128  per  litre,  together  with 
small  amounts  of  the  bicarbonates 
and  sulphates  of  lime  and 
magnesia  and  a  very  large  quan- 
tity of  free  carbonic  acid.  Not- 
withstanding this  large  amount 
of  carbonic  acid  in  the  water, 
a  portion  of  the  iron  is  very 
prone  to  precipitation.  Orezza  is 
resorted  to  by  natives  of  the 
island  in  summer. 

Oriol,  a  gaseous  alkaline  earthy 
chalybeate  spring,  near  Grenoble, 
in  France. 


Pierrefonds,  a  cold  sulphur  bath  eight  and  a-half 
miles'  drive  from  Compiegne  station  and  sixty  from 
Paris  (Northern  line),  lies  at  the  foot  of  a  hill  sur- 
mounted by  a  castle  and  near  a  small  lake.  It  is 
pleasantly  situated  at  an  elevation  of  275  feet  on  the 
borders  of  the  forest  of  Compiegne.  Its  mineral 
springs  resemble  those  of  Enghien  in  composition, 
and  contain  sulphydrate  of  calcium  (0-015  per  litre) 
and  a  small  amount  of  earthy  salts.  The  waters  are 
used  in  the  same  cases  as  other  sulphur  springs. 
Treatment  by  the  application  of  pulverised  water 
(introduced  here  in  1856  by  Dr.  Sales  Girons)  is 


SECT.  B.]     PIERREFONDS— PLOMBIERES.  283 

especially  popular ;  and  a  special  room  in  the  well- 
appointed  bath  establishment  is  devoted  to  pulverisa- 
tion. 

Pierrefonds  possesses  also  a  chalybeate  spring 
containing  0*139  of  bicarbonate  and  crenate  of  iron 
per  litre,  a  little  earthy  salts,  and  traces  of  manganese 
and  arsenic.  The  cases  treated  there  are  those  of 
chronic  pharyngitis,  laryngitis,  bronchitis,  and  asthma, 
also  herpetic  skin  affections,  rheumatism,  and 
functional  uterine  disorders  associated  with  ansemia 
and  chlorosis. 

The  neighbourhood  of  Pierrefonds  offers  many 
attractive  walks  and  drives,  and  it  has  the  advan- 
tage of  being  adjacent  to  the  magnificent  forest  of 
Compiegne.  , 

The  climate  is  rather  humid.  The  season  is  from 
June  ist  to  Oct.  ist.  The  waters  are  exported. 

Plombieres,  in  the  Department  of  the  Vosges, 
with  indifferent  thermal  springs,  is  a  small,  clean, 
well-built  town  of  2,000  inhabitants,  situated  at  an 
elevation  of  1,300  feet  above  the' sea  in  a  beautiful 
green  valley,  surrounded  by  gently  sloping  hills 
covered  with  dense  forests  of  beech  and  pine. 

It  is  useless  to  speak  of  the  antiquity  of  these 
baths.  Wherever  there  were  hot  springs  the  Romans 
were  certain  to  turn  them  to  account,  and  numerous 
remains  of  Roman  baths  are  to  be  found  at  all  these 
thermal  stations.  But  we  find  Montaigne  visiting 
Plombieres  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and  since  his 
time  it  has  had  many  distinguished  guests  ;  some  of 
the  family  of  Louis  XV.,  Stanislas,  Duke  of  Lorraine, 
Voltaire,  Maupertuis,  Beaumarchais,  la  Reine 
Hortense,  Napoleon  III.,  etc. 

The  possession  of  several  springs — thirty  in 
number,  furnishing  an  enormous  quantity  of  water, 
and  varying  in  temperature  from  55°  to  over  165°  F. 
—has  led  to  the  creation  of  several  bathing  establish- 
rnents  not  far  from  one  another  in  the  town,  as  well 
as  the  new  one  connected  with  the  Grand  Hotel. 


284  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I. 

In  one  of  these,  which  is  partly  subterranean,  the 
remains  of  an  old  Roman  piscine,  some  feet  below  the 
level  of  the  ground,  is  used  as  a  vapour  bath  (etuve), 
and  here  one  may  witness  some  of  the  characteristic 
treatment  of  the  place  in  operation. 

The  hot  vapour  from  the  natural  spring  is  ad- 
mitted into  this  old  Roman  chamber,  and  the  patient 
(who  is,  we  will  suppose,  the  victim  of  chronic 
rheumatism)  is  placed  in  this  moist  and  superheated 
atmosphere  until  he  perspires  freely  ;  he  then  passes 
out  and  up  again  into  an  apartment  with  several 
cabinets  each  containing  a  couch  or  bed  on  which  he 
reposes,  well  wrapped  up,  until  his  perspiration  is 
pretty  well  over,  then  he  passes  into  the  hands  of 
the  masseur,  and  is  submitted  to  the  process  of 
massage ;  this  over  he  passes  into  another  apartment 
devoted  to  douching,  and  is  finally  finished  off  with 
a  general  douche. 

All  these  springs  are  very  feebly  mineralised,  the 
hottest,  which  are  also  the  strongest,  do  not  contain 
more  than  0*39  of  solids  per  litre.  Some  of  them 
have  an  unctuous  feeling  due  to  the  presence  of  sili- 
cate of  aluminium  and  hence  termed  "  sources  savon- 
neuses"  They  have  a  faintly  alkaline  reaction,  due 
probably  to  the  presence  of  a  small  amount  of 
sodium  bicarbonate.  All  the  springs  contain  traces 
of  arsenic.  There  is  also  a  cold  ferruginous  spring, 
La  Bourdeille,  at  Plombieres.  But  the  cure  there  con- 
sists essentially  in  the  external  application  of  the 
water;  the  internal  use  is  quite  secondary  and  sub- 
ordinate. 

The  methods  of  applying  the  thermal  waters  are 
numerous,  viz.  the  single  bath  and  the  large  bath, 
or  both,  with  or  without  douche  or  massage  ;  the  hot 
douche  during  the  bath  ;  the  so-called  "  submarine 
douche  "  (i.e.  applied  under  the  surface  of  the  water) ; 
the  cold  douche  or  the  Scotch  douche  ;  the  vapour 
bath  (etuve)  followed  by  "sudation,"  with  or  with- 
out massage ;  ascending  douches ;  large  intestinal 
"  lavages  "  ;  vaginal  irrigations  ;  inhalations,  etc. 


SECT.  B.]  PLOMBIERES,  285 

In  the  next  place,  what  are  the  diseases  espe- 
cially suited  to  treatment  there  and  by  these 
methods  ? 

First  and  foremost  are  all  the  many  painful  con- 
ditions associated  with  the  name  chronic  rheumatism 
or  dependent  on  the  inherited  rheumatic  constitution. 
Sciatica  and  other  forms  of  rheumatic  neuralgia, 
muscular  and  articular  rheumatism,  migraine,  and 
especially  those  forms  of  gastfalgia,  chronic 
nervous  dyspepsia,  and  gastric  and  intestinal 
catarrh,  associated  either  with  constipation  or 
diarrhoea,  especially  when  connected  with  the  rheu- 
matic constitution,  "  enteralgia  nevralgique  et 
arthritique."  The  physicians  who  have  been  long 
in  practice  there  claim  great  success  in  the  treatment 
of  these  troublesome  affections.  Neurasthenia  and 
other  functional  disorders  of  the  nervous  system, 
particularly  when  associated  with  arthritism,  uterine 
neuralgia,  irritable  uterus,  and  especially  chronic 
metritis  in  the  neuropathic  or  rheumatic,  are  also  ad- 
vantageously treated  at  Plombieres.  So  also  are 
some  cases  of  dysmenorrhcea,  amenorrhcea,  and 
sterility  when  due  to  faulty  development  of  the 
uterus.  Most  of  these  maladies  fall  under  the  de- 
nomination in  use  there  of  "  rheumatisme  nevro- 
pathique"  a  mixture  of  nervous,  neuralgic  affections 
with  rheumatism  ;  and  under  this  head  are  comprised, 
besides  the  maladies  already  mentioned,  certain 
forms  of  vertigo,  spinal  irritation,  nervous  pal- 
pitations, and  superficial  neuralgias. 

The  successful  treatment  of  habitual  constipation 
is  another  claim  put  forward  by  the  physicians 
at  Plombieres  ;  such  cases  are  treated  by  daily  hot 
baths  of  half  an  hour  to  an  hour  and  a-half,  followed 
by  the  rectal  douche. 

But  of  late  years  it  is  specially  in  the  treatment 
of  chronic  diarrhoea,  and  particularly  of  muco- 
membranous  enterocolitis,  that  Plombieres  has  be- 
come celebrated.  "  Two  new  establishments  and 
more  than  sixty  special  compartments  have  been 


286  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

exclusively  reserved  for  the  application  ot  enteroclyse 
(intestinal  lavage)  in  the  recumbent  position." 

The  season  is  from  June  ist  to  Oct.  ist.  The 
Bain  Romain  remains  open  all  the  year  round. 

The  duration  of  the  cure  is  from  21  to  25  days; 
in  exceptional  cases,  30  days. 

Plombieres  can  be  reached  from  Paris  via  Belfort 
in  seven  hours,  and  from  London  in  sixteen  hours 
via  Calais  and  Chaumont. 

Pougues  les  Eaux  is  about  four  hours  from  Paris 
on  the  Lyons  Railway,  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Loire,  at  an  elevation  of  650  feet,  and  only  eight 
miles  from  the  interesting  town  of  Nevers.  Pougues 
has  been  termed  the  "  Paradise  of  the  dyspeptic," 
and  appears  to  have  recovered  the  popularity  it 
possessed  some  three  centuries  ago,  when  it  was 
much  resorted  to  by  some  of  the  chief  persons  in 
France.  In  the  reading-room  of  the  casino  the  walls 
are  covered  with  portraits  of  some  of  its  ancient 
patrons.  Its  waters  may  be  classified  as  cold 
gaseous  alkaline  earthy  springs. 

There  are  altogether  seven  springs,  but  three  only 
of  importance — the  Sources  St.  Leger,  Saint  Leon, 
and  Elisabeth.  But  the  interest  and  importance  of 
Pougues  is  really  concentrated  in  the  Source  St. 
Leger.  The  chief  constituents  of  this  spring  are 
bicarbonate  of  lime  and  magnesia,  together  2*1  per 
litre.  It  also  contains  sodium  bicarbonate  078, 
small  amounts  of  sodium  chloride  and  sulphate,  and 
minute  quantities  of  bicarbonate  of  lithium  (0*003) 
and  iron. 

These  waters  are  considered  to  be  especially 
suitable  to  cases  in  which  the  waters  of  Vichy  are 
too  powerful.  In  atonic  dyspepsia  and  chronic 
diarrhoea  in  delicate,  nervous  subjects  ;  in  the  gouty 
diathesis,  with  uric  acid  deposits  in  the  urine ;  in 
feeble  persons ;  in  diabetes,  and  in  some  forms  of 
chronic  vesical  catarrh  and  renal  disorders. 

The  presence  of  a  small  amount  of  iron  in  these 


SECT.  B.]  POUGUES    LES    EAUX.  287 

waters  makes  them  valuable  in  the  treatment  of 
chlorotic  anaemic  states  associated  with  menstrual 
irregularities,  and  with  gastric  feebleness. 

It  is  usual  to  begin  with  small  doses  of  the  water 
—a  quarter,  a  half,  or  a  whole  glass  taken  in  the 
morning  fasting.  This  is  sometimes  repeated  in  the 
afternoon.  The  average  daily  dose  for  the  dyspeptic 
oscillates  between  twelve  and  twenty-four  ounces. 
In  certain  cases  much  larger  doses  are  given — up  to 
forty  ounces  even.  The  methods  of  hydrotherapy 
are  almost  always  combined  with  internal  treatment. 

These  waters  are  said  to  increase  the  digestive 
secretions,  and  therefore  improve  gastric  tone  and 
function ;  they  are  highly  diuretic,  and  promote 
renal  excretion. 

At  first,  and  in  small  doses,  they  tend  to  con- 
stipate, but  in  large  doses  they  often  prove  laxative. 
In  anaemic  persons  the  proportion  of  oxyhaemo- 
globin  in  the  blood  is  said  to  be  increased.  At 
Pougues  douches  and  baths  of  all  kinds  can  be 
obtained,  as  well  as  massage  and  Swedish  gymnastics. 
The  "Terrain-Kur"  and  air  cure  are  practicable  at 
Pougues-Bellevue,  situated  at  an  altitude  of  nearly 
1,000  feet,  on  the  western  slope  of  Mont  Givre, 
about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  St.  Leger 
spring.  It  has  a  fine  terrace  dominating  the  valley 
of  the  Loire,  and  charming  walks  in  the  surrounding 
woods. 

The  season  is  from  June  ist  to  Oct.  ist,  but  the 
casino  does  not  open  till  June  isth,  and  closes  on 
Sept.  1 5th.  All  the  amusements  and  distractions 
usual  at  French  spas  are  to  be  found  in  the  casino 
at  Pougues.  The  waters  are  exported. 

Pyrmont  is  situated  at  an  elevation  of  about  400 
feet,  in  a  well-wooded  district  in  a  deep  valley  of  the 
Weser  Mountains,  in  Waldeck-Pyrmont,  near  Han- 
over, and  is  well  known  for  its  gaseous  chalybeate 
springs.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  celebrated 
spas  in  Germany.  Besides  its  iron  springs,  it  also 


288  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

possesses  common  salt  springs.  It  likewise  utilises  a 
ferruginous  mud,  obtained  from  near  the  chalybeate 
spring,  which  is  said  to  have  the  same  composition 
as  the  Franzensbad  mud. 

The  chief  iron  spring  is  the  Hauptquelle,  a 
decidedly  strong  one  —  stronger  than  those  at 
Schwalbach  and  St.  Moritz — but  it  is  not  so  agree- 
able to  drink,  as  it  contains  a  small  quantity  of  the 
bitter  sulphate  of  magnesia.  It  contains,  per  litre, 
bicarbonate  of  iron  o  077,  bicarbonate  of  manganese 
0-0062,  and  carbonic  acid  1,476  c.c.,  besides  chlorides 
in  small  amount  and  sulphates,  chiefly  the  sulphate 
of  magnesia  (0*453). 

There  are  also  three  chief  salt  springs,  one  of 
which,  with  much  carbonic  acid,  is  used  for  drinking ; 
it  contains,  per  litre,  sodium  chloride  7-06,  sodium 
sulphate  0*12,  magnesium  sulphate  0*96,  and  carbonic 
acid  954  c.c.  The  bathing  springs  contain  more 
sodium  chloride,  the  strongest  as  much  as  32  grammes 
per  litre.  There  are  very  complete  bath  arrange- 
ments for  (i)  the  chalybeate,  (2)  the  salt,  and  (3)  the 
mud  baths.  Besides  these  there  are  wave  baths, 
pine-needle  and  other  medicated  baths,  and  massage, 
gymnastics,  electrical  treatment,  and  the  whey  cure 
are  available. 

Owing  to  the  possession  of  two  distinct  groups  of 
mineral  springs,  the  cure  at  Pyrmont  is  applicable  to 
a  great  many  morbid  conditions,  while,  it  admits  of  a 
combined  treatment  very  appropriate  to  many  cases. 

For  patients  requiring  chalybeate  waters  Pyrmont 
offers  an  alternative  to  such  resorts  as  Schwalbach  or 
St.  Moritz ;  for  those  suffering  from  gastric  and 
hepatic  troubles  it  may  take  the  place  of  Homburg 
or  Kissingen  ;  and  for  many  female  maladies  it  offers 
much  the  same  remedial  measures  as  may  be  found 
at  Kreuznach.  In  addition,  then,  to  cases  of  anaemia, 
chlorosis,  retarded  convalescence,  functional  nervous 
affections,  and  scrofula,  Pyrmont  has  been  specially 
advocated  for  the  treatment  of  certain  female  com- 
plaints, particularly  with  its  Sool  and  mud  baths— 


SECT.    13. J 


PANTICOSA. 


289 


chronic  pelvic,  periuterine  exudations,  and  those  the 
result  of  chronic  perityphlitis,  the  cachectic  states 
associated  with  menstrual  disturbances,  uterine  and 
vaginal  catarrhs,  non-malignant  uterine  tumours; 
obesity,  especially  in  chlorotic  women  and  associated 
with  sterility — in  such  cases  the  combined  use  of  the 
iron  and  salt  waters  has  been  found  of  much  value. 

Pyrmont  has  a  healthy,  mild,  and  agreeable 
climate.  It  is  rarely  too  hot  in  the  daytime  in 
summer,  but  the  nights  are  cool,  and  warm  clothing 
is  always  needed.  The  soil  is  porous,  and  the 
ground  dries  quickly  after  rain.  The  air  is  very  pure 
and  free  from  dust. 

The  season  is  from  the  beginning  of  May  to 
Oct.  i st.  Accommodation  is  good,  the  prices  are 
moderate.  The  quickest  route  is  by  Queenborough 
and  Flushing,  eighteen  hours  Irom  London. 


Panticosa  (Spanish  Pyrenees). 
— This  Spanish  mountain  spa  must 
be  classed  with  the  weak  sulphur 
springs,  its  several  sources  being 
very  feebly  mineralised.  It  would 
be  an  extremely  interesting  excur- 
sion for  the  hardy  and  enterpris- 
ing pedestrian  and  balneologist, 
to  visit  this  Spanish  mountain 
health  resort  from  Cauterets,  and 
return  by  Gabas  and  Les  Eaux 
Chaudes.  From  Cauterets  to 
Panticosa  is  an  arduous  mountain 
walk  of  eight  hours,  crossing  a 
steep  col  about  8,000  feet  high  ;  a 
horse  can  be  taken  for  about  the 
first  half  of  the  way  ;  and  a  guide 
is  necessary,  as  the  first  part  of 
the  descent  on  the  Spanish  side  is 
rather  difficult.  It  is  usually,  how- 
ever, approached  on  the  French 
side  from  Les  Eaux  Chaudes, 
a  twelve  hours'  journey  on  horse- 
back. On  the  Spanish  side  it  is 
approached  from  Huesca,  but  it 
is  a  drive  of  forty-four  miles  by 
carriage  from  that  town,  so  it  is  a 
place  difficult  of  access.  It  is 

K 


picturesquely  situated  in  the 
mountains,  at  an  elevation  of 
5,600  feet,  near  a  lake  and  some 
waterfalls.  The  climate  is  harsh 
and  very  cold  at  night.  We  have 
very  little  reliable  information 
about  this  Spanish  Pyrenean 
bath.  It  possesses  several  springs, 
which  are  somewhat  quaintly 
named,  according  to  their  uses : 
"Del  Higado  "  (for  the  liver), 
"  De  los  Herpes  "  (for  eruptions), 
"DelEstomago"  (for  the  stomach), 
"  De  la  Taquara,"  etc.  Their 
temperature  is  about  84°  F.  Their 
mineralisation  is  very  feeble, 
Estomago  contains  only  0-15 
grammes  to  the  litre — chiefly 
sodium  sulphide  and  sulphate, 
with  some  free  sulphuretted 
hydrogen  gas.  Higado  and 
Herpes  contain  much  free 
nitrogen.  The  springs  are  used 
for  drinking  and  for  baths. 
Nitrogen  inhalations  are  also 
prescribed.  Cases  treated  at  Panti- 
cosa comprise  chronic  catarrhs 
of  the  respiratory  passages, 


290 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


phthisis,  dyspepsia,  rheumatism, 
and  skin  diseases.  The  high 
mountain  climate  must  be  an 
important  therapeutic  factor. 

Farad,  in  Hungary,  on  the  line 
of  rail  from  Kis-Terenne  to  Kaal- 
Kapolna  has  strong  sulphate  of  iron 
waters.  An  alkaline  gaseous 
sulphur  spring  arises  in  the 
neighbourhood  and  a  bicarbonate 
of  iron  spring  at  some  distance 
off. 

Passugg,  in  Switzerland,  about 
an  hour's  drive  from  Coire,  at  an 
elevation  of  a.yiofeet — the  carriage 
road  turns  off  from  that  to 
Churwalden  —  has  cold  gaseous 
alkaline  and  other  springs  of  some 
local  renown.  The  most  strongly 
mineralised  of  these,  the  Ulricus, 
is  said  to  contain  as  much  as  5  "669 
grammes  per  litre  of  bicarbonate 
of  sodium,  1-026  of  bicarbonate 
of  lime,  and  0-0837  °f  chloride 
of  sodium,  and  a  minute  amount 
of  bicarbonate  of  iron.  It  has  also 
a  cold  gaseous  and  calcareous 
chalybeate  spring,  much  richer  in 
iron,  and  a  highly  gaseous  weak 
alkaline  source,  suitable  for  a 
table-water.  The  springs  are 
situated  at  some  distance  (twenty 
minutes)  from  the  bath  establish- 
ment, where  carbonic  acid  baths 
are  prepared.  These  waters 
should  prove  of  much  therapeutic 
value  ;  they  are  resorted  to  chiefly 
by  cases  of  dyspepsia  and  anaemia. 
The  subalpine  climate  must 
favour  the  cure.  Season,  from 
June  to  September. 

Peiden,  a  Swiss  bath  in  the 
Orisons,  about  four  miles  from 
Ilanz  (between  Coire  and  Dis- 
sentis),  in  the  Lugnetz  valley,  has 
cold  calcareous  waters,  containing 
3-6  grammes  of  solids  per  litre, 
chiefly  carbonate  and  sulphate  of 
lime  (together  1-952),  and  a  little 
iron,  0-023  of  bicarbonate  of  iron, 
and  free  carbonic  acid.  It  also 
contains  some  sodium  sulphate 
(0-948)  _  and  chloride  (0-219)  and 


magnesium  bicarbonate  (0-378). 
May  be  prescribed  in  the  same 
cases  as  other  earthy  springs.  The 
season  is  from  June  15  to  Sept.  15. 

Pejo,  in  the  Pejo  valley  in 
the  Tyrol,  south  of  the  Orteler 
range,  at  an  elevation  of  4, 430  feet, 
possesses  an  alkaline  chalybeate 
spring  said  to  contain  0-05  per 
litre  of  bicarbonate  of  iron. 

The  nearest  railway  station, 
San  Michele,  is  a  twelve  hours' 
drive. 

Pestrin,  Le,  France,  Department 
Ardeche,  near  Vals,  has  chalybeate 
waters. 

Petersthal,  in  fhe  Baden  Black 
Forest,  has  cold  gaseous  chalybeate 
springs,  containing  bicarbonate  of 
iron  about  0-045,  bicarbonate  of 
calcium  1-5,  and  sulphate  of  so- 
dium 0-7  per  litre.  It  is  situated 
at  an  elevation  of  1,330  feet,  in 
the  Reuchthal,  on  the  western 
slope  of  the  Kniebis  mountains, 
and  is  five  miles  from  the  railway 
station  of  Oppenau. 

Pfaeffers.    See  Ragatz-Pfaeffers. 

Piatigorsk,  in  Russia  (the 
Caucasus),  has  thermal  common  salt 
and  sulphur  waters,  of  a  tempera- 
ture varying  from  83-5°  to  117°  F. 
Diluted  mud  baths  are  also  pre- 
pared, the  mud  coming  from  the 
neighbouring  lake  Tambukan. 
The  scenery  is  said  to  be  very 
beautiful — the  place  has  an  eleva- 
tion of  1,685  feet-  Tne  season  is 
from  May  to  September.  The 
Maria  Theresa  purgative  spring 
arises  at  Karras,  five  miles  off;  it 
is  known  as  ' '  the  bitter  water  of 
the  Caucasus." 

Pietrapola,  in  Corsica,  in  a 
picturesque  situation,  has  thermal 
sulphur  springs  at  a  tempera- 
ture of  90°  to  137°  F.,  and  con- 
taining 0-02  per  litre  of  sodium 
sulphide. 

Pitkeathly.  See  Bridge  -  of- 
Earn,  p.  131. 

Poretta,  in  the  province  of 
Bologna,  Italy,  with  a  station  on 


SECT.    B.] 


POZZVOL1. 


291 


the  railway  line  from  Bologna  to 
Pistoja,  has  thermal  common  salt  and 
sulphur  waters.  It  lies  amongst  the 
Apennines,  at  an  altitude  of  1,100 
feet,  in  the  valley  of  the  Reno, 
These  waters  have  been  known 
from  very  ancient  date,  partly  be- 
cause of  the  remarkable  circum- 
stance that  an  inflammable  gas 
(carburetted  hydrogen,  or  marsh 
gas)  is  disengaged  from  the  surface 
of  the  spring  and  has  been  utilised 
for  illuminating  purposes.  There 
are  as  many  as  nine  springs,  vary- 
ing in  temperature  from  91°  to  95° 
F.  Besides  the  mineral  constitu- 
ents, some  of  them  contain  an  oily 
or  bituminous  substance.  They 
have  an  odour  of  H2S,  and  a  dis- 
agreeable bitter  taste.  They  are 
used  for  drinking,  for  douches, 
baths, and  inhalations.  The  Leone, 
one  of  those  chiefly  used  for 
drinking,  has  8'o  grammes  of 
sodium  chloride  per  litre,  with 
minute  amounts  of  iodides  and 
bromides,  traces  of  arsenic,  and  a 
small  quantity  of  free  H2S,  and 
"marsh  gas.  These  waters  are 
laxative  and  diuretic,  and  are  given 
internally  in  cases  of  hepatic  con- 
gestion, gallstones,  haemorrhoids, 
and  abdominal  plethora,  and  as 
baths  for  skin  diseases  (moist 
eczema,  psoriasis,  acne)  and 
rheumatism.  Season,  June  30  to 
Sept,  30. 

Pouillon,  near  Dax,  France,  has 
weak  common  salt  waters. 

Pozzuoli,  on  the  Bay  of  Naples, 
between  that  city  and  Baiae,  has 
weak  thermal  alkaline  common 
salt  waters  of  ancient  historic 
repute.  A  half-extinct  crater  in 
the  neighbourhood,  the  Sol- 
fatara,  yields  sulphurous  fumes 
and  a  little  carbonic  acid  gas, 
and  in  the  time  of  the  Romans 
was  used  as  a  natural  vapour 
bath.  Above  the  Solfatara  are 
the  hot  Pisciarelli  springs  con- 
taining sulphate  of  iron  and 
alum. 


Preblau,  in  the  La  van  thai, 
Carinthia,  has  an  alkaline  spring, 
in  a  beautiful  Alpine  situation,  at 
an  elevation  of  more  than  3,000 
feet  above  the  sea.  .The  water  is 
alkaline,  containing  2-2.  grammes 
of  bicarbonate  of  sodium  per  litre. 
It  is  cold  and  gaseous,  and  is 
largely  exported  as  a  table  water. 
It  is  also  drunk  at  the  source,  and 
prescribed  in  cases  of  chronic 
catarrh  of  the  bladder  and 
urinary  tract,  in  renal  calculi, 
and  in  certain  forms  of  Bright 's 
disease.  This  resort  is,  however, 
too  distant  to  have  any  great 
interest  for  English  patients. 

Prechacq-les-Bains,  a  French 
resort,  having  thermal  waters  and 
mud  baths  identical  with  those  at 
Dax,  from  which  place  it  is  only 
a  short  distance.  Like  Dax,  it  is 
in  the  valley  of  the  Adour.  The 
nearest  railway  station  (seven 
kilometres)  is  Laluque,  on  the 
line  between  Bordeaux  and 
Bayonne.  The  chief  constituent 
in  the  thermal  springs  is  calcium 
sulphate  ;  they  also  contain  some 
free  nitrogen,  oxygen,  and  car- 
bonic acid  gases,  and  an 
abundance  of  confervae.  They  are 
of  a  high  temperature  (140°  F.) 
and  of  almost  unlimited  amount. 
Their  action,  taken  internally,  is 
diuretic,  and  they  have  been  found 
very  useful  in  cases  of  gravel, 
renal  colic,  and  vesical  catarrh. 
As  baths  they  produce  a  marked 
sedative  effect  on  the  nervous  and 
muscular  systems,  and  are  valu- 
able in  many  forms  of  rheuma- 
tism, neuralgia  (sciatica),  gout, 
and  neuritis.  The  vegeto -mineral 
mud  is  used  in  the  same  way  and 
for  the  same  cases  as  the  mud  at 
Dax— as  full  baths,  half-baths, 
and  as  local  applications.  These 
baths  promote  greatly  elimination 
by  the  skin,  and  are  powerful 
sudorifics.  Chronic  rheumatism 
is  the  malady  for  which  they  are 
specially  employed,  and  rheumatic 


292 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


sciatica,  lumbago,  and  muscular 
paresis.  Uterine  enlargements 
are  also  benefited,  as  by  the  Moor 
baths  of  Franzensbad.  Acute 
conditions  are  not  suitable  for  this 
treatment. 

Prechacq  has  also  a  cold  sulphur 
spring,  which  affords  an  additional 
resource  in  certain  cases. 

The  fine  bathing  establishment 
is  open  from  May  i  to  Nov.  i. 

Pr^-Saint-Didier,  near  Courmay- 
eur,  in  North  Italy,  at  an  altitude 
of  3,000  feet,  has  simple  thermal 
springs  feebly  mineralised,  and  of 
a  temperature  of  95°  F.  They  are 
used  for  baths  only. 

Prese,  Le,  in  Switzerland  (Can- 
ton Grisons),  on  the  southern  or 
Italian  side  of  the  Bernina  Pass, 
close  to  the  Lake  of  Poschiavo, 
and  about  six  hours  by  carriage 
from  Samaden,  has  feebly  mineral- 
ised cold  sulphur  waters,  and  is 
in  a  picturesque  situation,  at  an 
elevation  of  3,100  feet.  Its  total 
solids  only  amount  to  0-202  per 
litre,  the  chief  of  which  is  calcium 
sulphate  0-125,  and  magnesium 
carbonate  0-094.  They  also  con- 
tain 6  c.c.  of  H2S  per  litre.  They 
are  used  for  drinking  and  for  baths. 
Le  Prese  has  a  well-arranged 
bath  establishment  and  comfort- 
able hotel  accommodation.  Its 
moderate  elevation  and  its  pro- 
tection from  winds  make  it  a  suit- 
able summer  resort  for  many 
cases.  The  waters  are  applied  in 
the  same  manner  and  in  the 
same  cases  as  similarly  consti- 
tuted and  similarly  situated 
springs.  The  season  is  from  the 
beginning  of  June  to  the  end  of 
September. 

Preste,  La,  a  thermal  sulphur 
bath  in  the  narrow  mountain 
valley  of  the  Tech,  at  an  elevation 
of  3,700  feet,  in  the  Pyrenees 
Orientales,  a  drive  of  four  and  a- 
half  hours  from  Ceret,  a  railway 
station  thirty  -  eight  kilometres 
from  Perpignan.  Owing  to  its 


southern  latitude  and  protected 
situation,  the  baths  are  enabled  to 
be  kept  open  all  the  year  round. 

There  are  four  springs,  con- 
taining sodium  sulphide,  at  a  tem- 
perature of  112°  F.  The  total 
mineralisation  is  small,  0-13 
grammes  per  litre.  These  waters 
are  allowed  to  remain  exposed 
to  the  air  before  use,  when 
they  undergo  "degeneration,"  the 
sodium  sulphide  being  converted 
into  sulphate  and  hyposulphite. 
They  are  chiefly  used  internally, 
but  baths,  douches,  pulverisa- 
tions, and  inhalations  are  given. 
From  ancient  date  these  waters 
have  been  employed  in  the  treat- 
ment of  urinary  affections — pain- 
ful catarrh  of  the  bladder, 
phosphatic  and  uric  acid  gravel, 
chronic  nephritis,  and  nephralgia. 
They  are  also  used  in  respiratory 
affections,  in  dry  skin  eruptions, 
and  in  rheumatism.  The  bath 
establishment  contains  the  hotel 
and  casino.  The  water  is  ex- 
ported. 

Pullna,  near  Teplitz,  has 
"bitter"  purgative  waters  con- 
taining sodium  sulphate  and 
magnesium  sulphate  and  chloride, 
chiefly  exported. 

Purton  Spa,  in  Wiltshire. — The 
water  contains  aperient  sulphates. 

Puzzichello,  in  Corsica,  pos- 
sesses cold  H2S  springs,  which 
have  a  local  reputation  in  the 
treatment  of  skin  diseases. 

Pystjan,  or  Postyen,  in  Hun- 
gary, on  the  river  Waag,  at  an 
elevation  of  490  feet,  and  sheltered 
by  the  Carpathian  mountains 
from  north  -  east  winds,  has 
thermal  sulphur  waters  varying  in 
temperature  from  135°  to  146°  F., 
chiefly  used  for  baths.  Sul- 
phurous mud  baths  are  also 
prepared,  and  applied  generally 
and  locally.  The  cases  chiefly 
treated  there  are  those  of  injuries 
to  bones  and  joints,  rheumatoid 
arthritis,  and  syphilis. 


SECT.  B.]  RAGATZ-PFAEFFERS.  293 

Ragatz-Pfaeffers,  a  well-known  Swiss  bath  with 
simple  thermal  waters.  Ragatz  is  1,628  feet  above  the 
sea,  and  Pfaeffers  2,130  feet.  The  water  from  the  hot 
springs  at  Pfaeffers  is  conducted  in  wooden  tubes  to 
the  baths  of  Ragatz,  a  distance  of  about  two  and  a- 
half  miles.  The  baths  of  Pfaeffers,  situated  near  the 
source,  a  building  capable  of  accommodating  200 
persons,  is  so  inconveniently  placed,  shut  in  as  it  is  in 
a  deep  and  dark  gorge,  that  most  visitors  prefer  to 
take  these  baths  at  Ragatz,  the  position  of  which  is 
far  more  attractive  and  convenient,  and  where  there 
is  excellent  hotel  and  bath  accommodation.  The 
temperature  of  the  water  at  its  source  at  Pfaeffers  is 
98-6°  F.  It  loses  a  few  degrees  in  its  transit  to 
Ragatz,  where  the  temperature  of  the  baths  is 
93-5°  F.  It  is  an  indifferent  thermal  spring,  pro- 
ducing its  effects  mainly  by  its  warmth,  and  resem- 
bling, in  this  respect,  Teplitz  and  Wildbad.  It  is,  like 
the  Wildbad  waters,  rich  in  nitrogen  gas.  The  cases 
suitable  for  treatment  here  resemble  those  sent  to 
other  "  Wildbader,"  such  as  Wildbad  or  Gastein— 
viz.  cases  of  chronic  rheumatism,  of  rheumatoid 
arthritis,  of  sciatica,  of  chronic  gouty  exudations,  of 
tabes  and  certain  other  paralytic  conditions,  of 
hysteria  and  hypochondriasis  ;  cases  requiring  careful 
management  on  account  of  their  occurrence  in 
persons  of  sensitive  nervous  organisation,  certain 
special  female  maladies,  cases  of  retarded  convales- 
cence, in  which  the  mildly  tonic  climate  and  quiet 
life  are  advantageous.  There  are  excellent  new 
baths,  with  a  swimming  bath,  at  Ragatz,  and 
appliances  for  douches,  electric  baths,  hydrotherapy, 
and  Zander's  Swedish  gymnastics.  A  continuous  flow 
of  the  hot  mineral  water  is  kept  up  in  the  baths,  so 
that  they  are  maintained  at  an  equable  temperature. 
The  bath  usually  lasts  half  an  hour.  It  is  more  a 
bathing  than  a  drinking  cure,  but  some  patients  are 
ordered  two  to  four  glasses  of  the  water  daily. 
Ragatz  has  a  station  on  the  line  between  Zurich  and 
Coire,  within  a  few  miles  of  the  latter  town. 


294  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

The  season  is  from  the  beginning  of  May  to  the 
end  of  October.  July  and  the  first  part  of  August 
can  be  very  hot  at  Ragatz.  The  cure  is  therefore 
better  taken  either  before  or  after  this  period. 

Reichenhall  is  an  important  health  resort  in  the 
Bavarian  highlands,  close  to  the  Austrian  frontier,  at 
an  elevation  of  1,571  feet  above  the  sea,  fourteen 
miles  by  rail  from  Salzburg,  and  four  hours  from 
Munich,  in  the  midst  of  the  finest  scenery,  and 
within  a  few  miles  only  of  Berchtesgaden  and  the 
Konigsee.  It  possesses  a  variety  of  curative  means. 
These  include  treatment  by  variations  of  air  pressure 
in  the  pneumatic  chamber,  the  whey  cure,  waters  of 
other  well-known  spas,  pine-cone  baths,  an  elaborate 
inhalatorium  for  the  inhalation  of  the  brine  spray, 
etc.  Its  subalpine  climate  is  fairly  bracing,  mild 
yet  invigorating.  It  is  enclosed  on  three  sides 
by  an  amphitheatre  of  mountains,  from  4,400 
to  6,400  feet  high.  It  is  the  great  centre  of  the 
Bavarian  salt  works,  and  the  surplus  brine  of  the 
Berchtesgaden  salt  mines  is  conducted  there.  It  has 
sixteen  salt  springs,  the  chief  of  which  are  the 
Edelquelle  (with  220  grammes  of  salt  per  litre)  and 
the  Karl-Theodorquelle.  These  are  mixed  together 
for  the  baths,  which  are  sometimes  fortified  by 
Mutterlauge  containing  much  magnesium  chloride. 
It  also  has  spacious  salt  works  and  graduating-houses 
(Gradirhauser).  The  patients  promenade  near  the 
latter  so  as  to  inhale  the  salt-impregnated  air. 
There  are  also  Gradirwerke  in  the  Kurgarten  for 
the  same  purpose,  with  a  salt  water  fountain  forty 
fest  high. 

In  the  inhalatorium  it  has  been  calculated  that  a 
cubic  metre  of  air  contains  from  six  to  forty  grammes 
of  salt,  according  to  the  distance  from  the  apparatus. 
The  inhalation  of  this  brine-spray  is  found  very 
useful  in  promoting  expectoration  in  cases  of  chronic 
bronchial  catarrh.  It  is  also  a  resort  for  cases  of 
chronic  stationary  phthisis,  on  account  of  its  mild 


SECT.  B.]  RHEINFELDEN,  295 

subalpine  climate.  It  is,  however,  sometimes  very 
hot  in  summer.  Like  other  salt  baths,  this  is  suitable 
to  chronic,  lymphatic,  and  scrofulous  affections  ;  also 
cases  of  asthma  and  emphysema,  as  well  as  chronic 
catarrhal  cases,  are  treated  there  by  inhalation  of 
compressed  air  and  expiration  into  rarefied  air,  and 
in  the  pneumatic  chamber.  Indeed,  the  cases  chiefly 
and  specially  treated  at  Reichenhall  are  chronic 
catarrhal  affections  of  the  respiratory  organs. 

The  water  of  the  salt  springs  has  to  be  diluted  for 
drinking.  A  laxative  " bitter"  water  has  been 
prepared  from  the  Mutter  lauge,  and,  for  drinking,  the 
brine  can  be  obtained  impregnated  with  carbonic 
acid,  diluted  and  bottled.  Artificial  gaseous  Sool 
baths  are  prepared  there,  in  imitation  of  those  at 
Nauheim,  and  artificial  gaseous  chalybeate  baths 
also.  Altogether  Reichenhall  is  a  very  important 
health  resort. 

The  season  is  from  May  ist  to  Oct.  ist. 

Rheinfelden,  in  Canton  Aargau,  Switzerland,  on 
the  left  bank  of  the  Rhine,  nine  miles  from  Bale,  is  a 
strong  brine  bath.  The  town  is  charmingly  situated, 
at  an  elevation  of  870  feet,  on  the  northern  frontier 
of  Switzerland,  separated  only  by  an  old  wooden 
bridge  from  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Baden.  It  is 
protected  to  the  north  by  the  Black  Forest  moun- 
tains, and  to  the  west  and  south  by  the  Jura  chain. 
Its  climate  is  mild  and  temperate,  rather  hot  in 
summer,  but  on  the  whole  very  suitable  for  a 
bathing-station  of  this  kind. 

More  than  half  a  century  ago  a  vast  deposit  of 
salt  was  discovered  a  little  distance  from  the  town, 
at  a  depth  of  120  metres,  and  this  led,  in  course  of 
time,  to  the  establishment  of  a  manufactory  of 
common  salt  and  the  formation  of  a  mineral  water  spa. 

The  Rheinfelden  brine  is  practically  a  saturated 
solution  of  salt,  and  contains  311*6  grammes  per  litre  of 
sodium  chloride,  as  strong  as  it  is  possible  to  be,  and 
in  this  respect  it  resembles  the  brine  of  Droitwich. 


296  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

The  Mutterlauge  obtained  from  it  resembles  it 
closely  in  composition;  it  contains  310  per  litre  of 
sodium  chloride,  3  of  magnesium  chloride,  and  2  of 
calcium  chloride.  It  therefore  differs  much  less  in 
composition  from  the  brine  than  the  Mutterlauge 
of  weaker  salt  waters.  Indeed,  the  salt  water  and 
the  Mutterlauge  have  very  nearly  the  same  com- 
position, and  of  all  the  sodium  chloride  waters 
Rheinfelden  is  the  strongest. 

It  is  used  in  baths  of  various  strengths  and  of 
various  degrees  of  temperature — as  compresses,  as 
lotions,  gargles,  pulverisations,  and  nasal  and  vaginal 
injections.  It  is  very  rarely  taken  internally,  and 
then  very  diluted.  The  soft  water  of  the  Rhine  is 
used  for  diluting  the  brine  for  the  baths.  The 
methods  of  hydrotherapy  are  also  employed,  and 
especially  the  various  forms  of  douches.  Other 
therapeutic  measures  employed  are  vapour  baths, 
massage,  electricity,  hydro-electric  baths,  pine-extract 
baths,  the  use  of  other  mineral  waters,  especially  of 
the  chalybeate  group,  and  the  milk  cure. 

The  cases  best  suited  to  treatment  there  are 
retarded  convalescence  from  infective  fevers  ;  general 
debility  following  nutritional  disturbances  or  ex- 
haustive discharges  ;  anaemia  and  chlorosis  ;  scrofula 
in  all  its  forms  and  manifestations  ;  chronic  affections 
of  the  bones  and  joints  unsuitable  for  surgical  opera- 
tion, and  wounds  and  fistulas  the  result  of  such 
operations  ;  rickets  ;  chronic  rheumatism  ;  gout,  with 
certain  precautions  ;  skin  affections  allied  to  scrofula, 
psoriasis,  and  hypersensitiveness  of  the  surface ; 
functional  affections  of  the  nervous  system,  neuras- 
thenia and  certain  forms  of  paralysis  (in  those  cases 
a  combination  of  electricity  with  the  salt  baths 
proves  very  useful)  ;  those  female  maladies  usually 
submitted  to  treatment  by  salt  baths,  etc.,  including 
obesity. 

The  season  is  from  the  middle  of  May  to  the  end 
of  October.  The  accommodation  is  good,  and  there 
is  a  well-managed  hospital  for  poor  patients.  The 


SECT.  B.]  RlPPOLDSAUi  297 

railway   station   is   on  the  line  between   Bale   and 
Zurich. 

Rippoldsau,  a  chalybeate  bath  in  the  Black  Forest, 
in  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Baden,  is  one  of  the  Kniebis 
spas.  It  is  situated  in  a  beautiful,  thickly  wooded 
Black  Forest  valley — the  Wolfthal — at  an'  elevation 
of  nearly  2,000  feet,  and  is  highly  esteemed  both  for 
its  invigorating  subalpine  climate  and  its  mineral 
springs.  It  lies  at  the  southern  foot  of  the  Kniebis 
mountains.  There  are  numerous  and  charming 
promenades  and  excursions  into  the  surrounding 
forests  and  mountains.  It  is  usually  approached 
from  Wolfach,  a  railway  station  on  the  Black  Forest 
line,  via  Strasburg  or  Cologne  and  Offenburg.  From 
Wolfach  it  is  a  drive  of  nearly  three  hours.  It  has 
three  cold  gaseous  springs,  utilised  for  drinking,  and 
one  for  baths.  They  all  contain  iron,  much  free 
carbonic  acid,  and  much  bicarbonate  of  lime,  and  a 
certain  amount  of  sodium  and  magnesium  sulphate, 
which  distinguishes  them  from  a  simple  chalybeate 
water  like  that  of  Schwalbach. 

The  strongest  of  the  springs  in  bicarbonate  of 
iron  (0*094  Per  litre)  is  the  Wenzelsquelle,  and  this 
also  contains  sulphates  of  sodium  and  magnesium 
amounting  together  to  0-952.  The  Josephsquelle 
contains  much  less  iron  but  more  of  the  aperient 
sulphates  (1*117).  It  ^s  usual  at  Rippoldsau  to 
prepare  from  some  of  the  mineral  springs — the 
Josephsquelle  and  the  Leopoldsquelle — artificial 
mineral  waters,  by  the  addition  of  sodium  sulphate 
and  carbonate  and  carbonic  acid  gas  to  the  former,  and 
the  same  salts,  with  a  little  sulphuretted  hydrogen, 
to  the  latter,  in  imitation  of  the  Kreuzbrunnen  at 
Marienbad,  and  the  Schwefelbrunnen  at  Weilbach. 
The  first  of  these  is  termed  Natroine,  and  the 
second  Schwefelnatroine.  This,  of  course,  ex- 
tends considerably  the  range  of  applicability  of  the 
Rippoldsau  waters.  The  chalybeate  waters  are  pre- 
scribed in  the  various  maladies  associated  with  anemia 


298  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  t. 

and  chlorosis,  and  the  Natroine  is  used  as  a 
purgative  in  cases  usually  treated  by  such  waters, 
while  the  artificially  produced  "sulphur"  water  is 
used  in  such  cutaneous,  catarrhal,  and  other  affections 
as  are  usually  sent  to  sulphur  spas.  The  baths  are 
prepared  from  one  of  the  weaker  iron  springs,  which 
is,  however,  specially  rich  in  free  carbonic  acid. 

Moor  baths  are  also  prepared  from  moor-earth, 
obtained  directly  from  Franzensbad,  mixed  with  the 
iron  water.  Hydro-electric  baths,  pine-needle  baths, 
all  kinds  of  douches,  massage,  hydrotherapy,  gym- 
nastics, and  the  whey  and  milk  cures  can  be  obtained 
at  Rippoldsau.  The  season  is  from  May  i5th  to 
Sept.  1 5th. 

Roncegno,  in  the  Austrian  Tyrol,  is  a  three  hours' 
drive,  or  about  20  miles,  from  Trent,  on  the  Brenner 
line  to  Venice.  It  is  situated  in  the  picturesque 
Val  Sugana,  watered  by  the  river  Brenta,  at  an 
altitude  of  1,750  feet,  and  now  possesses  a  railwa)^ 
station  on  the  new  Val  Sugana  line,  which  brings 
it  within  an  hour  of  Trent.  It  has  a  Kurhaus 
capable  of  accommodating  150  guests,  and  four  or 
five  small  hotels. 

The  water  is  remarkable  among  mineral  waters 
for  its  large  proportion  of  metallic  sulphates.  It 
contains  sulphates  of  iron,  copper,  manganese,  alu- 
minium, nickel,  cobalt,  etc.,  together  with  a  notable 
amount  of  arsenic.  It  is  obtained  from  a  mine  in 
the  adjacent  Mount  Tesobo ;  it  is  cloudy  at  its 
source  and  has  to  be  allowed  to  stand  in  reservoirs 
until  the  sediment  is  deposited  and  the  clear  upper 
stratum  can  be  removed.  It  is  easy  to  understand 
why  strong  mineral  springs  like  these  should  enjoy 
a  great  heal  reputation,  but  they  hardly  come  under 
the  category  of  ordinary  mineral  waters  such  as 
foreign  visitors  might  be  attracted  to,  as  "  water " 
enters  little,  if  at  all,  into  such  a  cure,  owing  to  the 
strength  of  the  spring.  The  water  is  exported. 

The  water  is  employed  as  baths,  largely  diluted 


SECT.  B.]  ROY  AT    LES    BAINS:  299 

with  fresh  water,  and  is  also  taken  internally — one  or 
two  tablespoonfuls  for  a  dose.  Owing  to  the  large 
amount  of  arsenic  in  the  water  (0*109  of  arserrate  of 
sodium  and  0*115  of  arsenic  anhydride)  any  increase 
of  these  small  doses  must  be  carefully  watched.  The 
muddy  sediment  from  the  water  is  also  applied 
locally  like  a  poultice.  The  cases  considered  most 
amenable  to  treatment  at  Roncegno  are  those  of 
anaemia,  neurasthenia,  many  cutaneous  affections, 
malarial  cachexia,  chronic  muscular  and  articular 
rheumatism,  chronic  bronchial  catarrh,  early  phthisis, 
and  cases  of  protracted  convalescence  from  acute 
disease. 

The  season  is  from  May  ist  to  the  end  of  Sep- 
tember. 

Roy  at  les  Bains.  —  The  volcanic  district  of 
Auvergne  is,  as  might  be  expected,  rich  in  thermal 
springs,  many  of  which  rise  in  mountain  regions, 
where  picturesque  scenery  and  fine  bracing  air  con- 
tribute no  unimportant  addition  to  the  effects  of 
these  mineral  sources.  It  is  said  that  there  are  no 
less  than  500  distinct  mineralised  springs  in 
Auvergne,  while  the  department  of  Puy  de  Dome 
alone  contains  over  200.  Of  the  better  known  and 
more  frequented  sources,  Mont  Dore,  La  Bourboule, 
and  Royat  are  the  chief. 

Royat  has,  of  late  years,  attained  great  popularity 
and  importance.  It  is  finely  situated  not  far  from 
Clermont-Ferrand,  1,460  feet  above  the  sea-level.  It 
has  an  agreeable  refreshing  climate,  and  possesses 
several  springs  which  in  their  constitution  somewhat 
resemble  those  of  Ems. 

As  to  the  composition  and  uses  of  the  waters 
at  Royat,  they  are  described  by  French  authorities 
as  "thermal,  alkaline,  gaseous,  chloride  of  sodium, 
iron,  arsenical  and  lithiated,"  and  in  other  works 
they  are  included  in  the  class  of  "  alkaline  common 
salt "  waters,  of  which  Royat  and  Ems  may  be  taken 
as  types. 


300  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

At  Royat,  however,  much  importance  is  attached 
to  the  presence  of  arsenic,  iron,  and  lithium  in  its 
springs. 

But,  apart  from  the  presence  of  lithium 
and  arsenic  in  the  waters  of  Royat,  they  contain 
other  important  constituents  in  considerable  quan- 
tity. The  alkaline  bicarbonates  predominate,  as 
in  most  of  the  mineral  springs  of  this  district — those 
of  soda,  lime,  and  magnesia  chiefly — and  to  these 
must  be  added  chloride  of  sodium.  The  Source 
Eugenie  is  the  most  richly  mineralised,  and  contains 
of  solids  5*62  per  litre  ;  of  this  3-46  consists  of 
alkaline  bicarbonates,  172  of  sodium  chloride,  0*035 
of  lithium  chloride,  0*056  of  salts  of  iron  and  man- 
ganese, and  in  the  Source  St.  Victor  0*0045  °f  sodium 
arsenate.  The  Sources  St.  Mart  and  St.  Victor 
are  somewhat  less  richly  mineralised,  and  the  Source 
Cesar  is  but  very  feebly  mineralised,  and  as  it  con- 
tains a  considerable  amount  of  free  carbonic  acid, 
it  is  the  best  suited  for  use  as  an  ordinary  drinking 
water.  It  is  by  no  means  unimportant  to  bear  in 
mind  that  three  of  these  springs — viz.  the  Eugenie, 
the  St.  Victor,  and  the  Cesar — contain  an  appreciable 
quantity  of  bicarbonate  of  iron.  There  are  thus 
four  principal  springs  at  Royat :  Eugenie,  St.  Victor, 
St.  Mart,  and  Cesar.  These  are  all  thermal  springs  ; 
the  Eugenie  is  the  hottest,  and  has  a  temperature 
of  96°  F.  ;  the  St.  Victor  the  coolest,  its  tempera- 
ture is  68°  F. 

At  Royat,  as  in  most  other  large  spas  in  France, 
the  waters  are  utilised  in  every  possible  manner ; 
the  well-appointed  £tablissement  provides  douches 
of  all  kinds.  To  each  bath  there  is  a  douche,  and 
douching  and  massage  "  sous  I'eau  " — i.e.  under  the 
water  in  the  bath — are  applied.  Baths  and  douches 
of  carbonic  acid,  hydro-electric  baths,  and  baths 
with  running  water  (a  eau  courante),  in  which  the 
water  is  admitted  directly  from  the  spring,  and  by 
being  kept  flowing  through  the  bath  a  constant 
temperature  is  maintained — these  are  highly  valued 


SECT.  B.]  ROYAT    LES    BAINS.  301 

methods  of  treatment  at  Roy  at.  There  are  also  salles 
d' aspiration,  in  which  the  patient  sits,  fitly  attired, 
and  breathes  the  vapour  driven  into  the  chamber 
from  the  hot  springs  themselves,  and,  after 
being  steamed  in  this  fashion  for  half  an  hour, 
is  hurried  off  to  his  hotel  in  a  sort  of  sedan-chair 
and  ordered  to  repose  for  an  hour.  There  are  also 
well-appointed  salles  de  pulverisation,  in  which  jets 
of  water  are  pulverised  by  being  driven  with  great 
force  against  metallic  discs,  or  the  water  is  driven 
into  spray  by  means  of  steam.  These  jets  of  spray 
and  pulverised  water  are  inhaled,  and  are  the  chief 
treatment  employed  in  affections  of  the  throat  and 
nose.  Royat  also  possesses  a  fine  swimming  bath, 
one  of  the  largest  of  its  kind,  furnished  with  a 
gymnastic  apparatus,  and  very  popular  with  the 
French  ladies. 

The  chief  buvette,  or  drinking  fountain — that  of 
the  Source  Eugenie — is  situated  in  the  tastefully 
arranged  park,  and  the  water  is  ladled  out  from 
the  bubbling  source  itself  by  female  attendants. 
Before  breakfast  in  the  morning  —  the  serious 
dejeuner  is  at  eleven  o'clock — and  again  between 
three  and  four  in  the  afternoon,  are  the  times 
appropriated  to  drinking  the  waters,  the  dinner 
hour  being  six.  It  is  usual  to  begin  with  quite  small 
doses  of  the  water,  half  a  glass  twice  a  day  gradually 
increased. 

The  treatment  at  Royat  is  specially  applicable 
to  what  the  French  authorities  term  "  des  arthritiques 
anemiques"  which  corresponds  with  the  group  of 
patients  who  in  England  are  said  to  suffer  from 
"atonic  gout'1 — a  combination  of  joint  troubles 
with  anaemia  and  debility.  The  arsenic  and  the 
iron  combined  in  the  Royat  waters  render  them 
decidedly  tonic.  It  may  here  be  said  that  they 
prove  less  successful  with  the  rheumatic  than  with 
the  gouty.  Atonic  dyspepsia  in  the  gouty  is  also 
a  condition  adapted  to  treatment  there.  Certain 
forms  of  skin  disease — indeed,  nearly  all  forms  having 


3o2  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

direct  relation  to  the  gouty  constitution — are  very 
greatly  benefited  by  this  course. 

Acne,  it  is  said,  is  very  amenable  to  the  Royat 
waters.  Gouty  eczema — i.e.  patches  of  eczema, 
limited  and  localised — belong  also  especially  to 
the  list  of  ailments  cured  there,  as  well  as  those 
cases  of  troublesome  local  pruritus  connected  with 
the  gouty  constitution.  Diabetes  and  certain  forms 
of  Bright's  disease,  when  associated  with  gout, 
especially  in  the  debilitated  and  anaemic,  are  suited 
to  Royat ;  so  are  cases  of  biliary  and  renal  colic 
of  moderate  severity  in  the  anaemic. 

Anaemia  and  chlorosis,  and  other  diseases  of 
women  similar  to  those  treated  at  Ems,  are  also 
treated  at  Royat  with  success.  Diseases  of  the  throat 
and  respiratory  organs,  chronic  bronchial  catarrhs, 
catarrhal  asthma,  especially  when  they  occur  in  the 
gouty,  are  sent  in  considerable  numbers  to  Royat 
for  treatment ;  and  its  climate  is  considered  very 
suitable  to  such  conditions.  Cases  of  chronic 
laryngitis  and  pharyngitis  in  gouty  people  are  greatly 
benefited  there.  In  these  cases  the  treatment  by 
inhalations  proves  of  much  service.  Finally,  the 
neurasthenic,  the  migrainous,  the  over-worked,  and 
sufferers  from  those  neuroses  which  are  dependent 
on  cerebro-spinal  anaemia,  may  derive  benefit  from 
the  Royat  course. 

The  climate  of  Royat  depends  partly  on  its 
adjacency  to  the  great  central  mountain  chains  of 
Auvergne,  the  Monts  Domes,  and  the  Monts  Dore, 
partly  on  the  porous  volcanic  soil,  and  partly  on  its 
own  particular  situation.  Lying  as  it  does  in  the 
floor  of  a  somewhat  narrow  valley,  surrounded  on 
all  sides  by  mountains,  and  only  open  to  the  east, 
running,  moreover,  in  a  direction  exactly  east  and 
\vest,  and  facing  the  east,  it  is  particularly  exposed 
to  the  direct  heat  of  the  sun.  From  the  moment 
the  sun  rises  in  the  east  above  the  mountains  of 
Forez  until  it  sets  in  the  west  behind  the  gigantic 
mass  of  the  Puy  de  Dome,  Royat  lies  exposed  to 


SECT.    B.] 


ROY  AT    LES    BAINS. 


303 


its  rays ;  and  it  is  therefore  exceedingly  difficult  to 
find  any  kind  of  shady  walks  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  Roy  at  when  the  sun  is  up  and  the  sky 
is  cloudless.  Generally,  however,  when  the  sun 
goes  down,  the  cooler  upper  strata  of  air  rush  down 
from  the  higher  plateaux  into  the  valley,  and  thus 
you  get  cool  refreshing  currents  of  air  playing 
through  the  valley  on  the  evenings  of  even  some 
of  the  hottest  days  in  summer. 

The  invalids"  and  visitors  at  Roy  at  are  well 
provided  with  amusements  ;  the  presence  of  two 
regiments  of  artillery  at  Clermont,  with  a  permanent 
band,  provides  very  good  orchestral  music.  At  the 
casino  there  is  a  concert  or  ball  or  dramatic  per- 
formance every  night,  and  some  of  the  eminent 
singers  who  are  following  the  course  of  treatment 
at  Royat  often  take  part  in  these  entertainments. 

The  season  is  from  May  25th  to  Sept.  30th. 


Eabbi,  in  the  Val  di  Rabbi, 
a  branch  of  the  Val  di  Noce, 
Tyrol,  possesses  two  strong 
alkaline  chalybeate  springs.  This 
small  spa  is  situated  at  an 
altitude  of  4,100  feet  and  is 
distant  ten  hours  from  a  railway 
station  (San  Michele).  Its  stronger 
spring  is  said  to  contain  o'i8 
bicarbonate  of  iron  and  i-o 
bicarbonate  of  sodium  per  litre. 
The  season  is  from  June  15  to 
Sept.  15. 

Radein,  a  bath  in  Styria,  too 
distant  to  be  of  much  value 
to  English  patients.  It  has 
a  cold  gaseous  alkaline  spring, 
and  also  a  chalybeate  spring.  The 
former  is  said  to  contain  three 
grammes  of  carbonate  of  sodium 
and  0-3  of  carbonate  of  lithium  in 
a  litre.  It  is  exported  as  well  as 
drunk  at  the  source.  Vapour 
baths,  douches,  massage,  etc.,  are 
applied  there.  Urinary  affections, 
gravel,  catarrh,  associated  with 
uric  acid  (gout),  also  acid  and  ! 


catarrhal  dyspepsia,  are  treated 
there. 

Rajeezfurdo,  one  hour  from 
the  railway  station  of  Sillein,  in 
Upper  Hungary,  at  an  elevation  of 
1,374  feet-  nas  indifferent  thermal 
waters  of  a  temperature  of  91° 
to  95°  F. ,  which  are  said  to  con- 
tain minute  amounts  of  iron  and 
alum. 

Rappoltsweiler,  in  a  valley  of 
the  Vosges,  Upper  Alsace,  at  an 
elevation  of  920  feet,  connected 
by  tram  line  with  its  railway 
station  (two  and  a-half  miles  off), 
on  the  Strasburg-Bale  line,  has 
a  feebly  mineralised  calcareous 
spring,  of  a  temperature  of  62°  to 
65°  F.,  the  Carolaquelle.  The 
Carolabad,  at  a  little  distance  from 
the  town,  is  prettily  situated  in  its 
own  grounds,  and  here  the  water 
is  utilised  for  drinking,  for  inhala- 
tion, baths,  and  douches.  It  has 
a  large,  open  swimming  bath.  It  is 
a  pleasant  quiet,  summer  resort. 

Rastenburg  and  Finneck,  in  the 


304 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


principality  of  Saxe- Weimar,  on 
the  Lossa — the  terminus  of  the 
Weimar-Rastenburg  branch  line 
— is  a  small  chalybeate  spa  with 
weak  iron  springs. 

Ratzes,  in  the  Austrian  Tyrol, 
between  three  and  four  hours 
from  the  railway  station  Atzwang, 
is  situated  at  an  altitude  of  3,900 
feet,  close  to  the  Schlern  moun- 
tains, and  has  a  sulphate  of  iron 
spring  (0-3  of  sulphate  of  iron  to 
the  litre),  and  a  cold,  sulphur 
spring. 

Recoaro,  Province  of  Vicenza, 
Italy,  twenty-six  miles  from 
Vicenza  station,  and  connected 
with  it  by  steam  tram  to  the  south 
of  the  Alps  of  Tyrol,  has  several 
chalybeate  springs,  rich  in  car- 
bonic acid  gas.  The  most  used 
is  the  Lelia,  and  this  contains 
0^046  per  litre  of  carbonate  of  iron 
together  with  a  small  amount  of 
lime  salts  (carbonate  and  sul- 
phate). Recoaro  is  situated  at  an 
elevation  of  1,400  feet,  in  a  pic- 
turesque neighbourhood,  and  has 
good  accommodation. 

Rehburg,  Germany,  Province 
of  Hanover,  with  a  station  on  the 
Steinhuder-Meer  line,  has  cold 
feebly  mineralised  earthy  springs, 
used  only  for  baths  in  cases  of 
rheumatism,  etc. 

Rehme.   See  Oeynhausen,  p.  280. 

Reiboldsgriin,  Saxony,  has 
chalybeate  waters  and  a  sana- 
torium for  consumptive  patients. 

Reinerz,  in  the  county  of  Glatz, 
Silesia,  seventeen  miles  from  the 
town  of  Glatz,  with  a  railway 
station  at  Riickers-Reinerz,  and 
at  Nachod  (Austria),  has  nine 
cold  gaseous  alkaline  earthy  chaly- 
beate springs,  one  of  which  con- 
tains 0-05  per  litre  of  bicarbo- 
nate of  iron.  They  also  contain 
sodium,  calcium,  and  magnesium 
carbonates.  Three  of  the  springs 
are  used  for  drinking,  and  six  for 
the  baths.  The  Lauquelle  is 
used  for  gargling  and  inhalation. 


Iodised,  ferruginous  mud  baths 
are  also  prepared.  Walks  adapted 
to  the  "  Terrain-Kur  ' '  are  marked 
out  in  the  pleasant,  wooded,  hilly 
country  around  the  spa.  The 
cases  treated  there  are  catarrhal 
affections  of  the  respiratory, 
gastro-intestinal,  and  renal  organs, 
anaemia,  neurasthenia,  retarded 
convalescence,  etc. 

Remoncourt,  France,  Depart- 
ment of  Vosges,  earthy  calcareous 
waters,  resembling  Contrexeville. 

Renlaigue,  Saint  Dierry,  Depart- 
ment Puy  de  Dome,  France,  a 
pure  strong  gaseous  chalybeate  water, 
with  0-08  per  litre  of  bicarbonate 
of  iron. 

Rennes  les  Bains,  France,  De- 
partment Aude,  at  an  elevation 
of  1,040  feet,  in  a  narrow  valley  on 
the  river  Salz,  about  an  hour's 
drive  from  the  station  of  Coneza, 
on  the  line  from  Carcasonne  to 
Quillan,  has  weak  thermal  springs, 
the  hottest  of  which  has  a  tem- 
perature of  124°  F.  It  is  usual  to 
speak  of  some  of  these  as  chaly- 
beate, but  the  amount  of  iron  is 
very  small,  only  o'oo2  per  litre. 
There  is,  however,  a  cold  spring, 
Du  Cercle,  said  to  contain 
0-015  of  sulphate  of  iron,  and 
others  more  than  this.  The  water 
of  the  river  Salz  is  also  utilised,  as 
it  contains  much  sodium  and  mag- 
nesium chloride,  and  sulphates 
of  sodium,  calcium,  and  mag- 
nesium, derived  from  salt  springs 
which  flow  into  it.  One  of  these 
springs  is  said  to  contain  as  much 
as  56-0  grammes  per  litre  of 
sodium  chloride. 

Cases  of  anaemia,  scrofula,  and 
rheumatism  are  treated  there. 

Reutlingen,  Wiirtemberg,  on 
the  Echaz,  at  an  elevation  of 
1,110  feet,  nine  miles  east  of 
Tubingen,  has  cold  sulphur  waters 
containing  small  amounts  of 
sodium  and  magnesium  bicar- 
bonates. 

Rietbad,  a  Swiss    cold   alhalin ' 


SECT.    B.] 


ROMERBAD— RUBIN  AT. 


305 


sulphur  bath,  at  an  altitude  of 
2,790  feet,  in  the  Lautern  valley, 
connected  with  the  Toggenburg 
valley,  in  Canton  St.  Gall.  About 
three  hours'  drive  from  Ebnat 
station. 

Rio  (Elba),  has  a  sulphate  of 
iron  spring. 

Rohitsch,  or  Heiligen-Kreuzbad, 
in  Styria,  about  an  hour  and  a- 
quarter's  drive  from  the  railway 
station  of  Poltschart,  has  cold 
alkaline  gaseous  springs,  contain- 
ing sodium  sulphate  chiefly,  and 
so  allied  to  such  waters  as 
those  of  Marienbad,  only  much 
weaker.  Other  constituents  of 
these  springs  are  sodium,  calcium, 
and  magnesium  bicarbonate  and 
sodium  chloride.  They  are  em- 
ployed in  cases  of  dyspepsia,  with 
constipation  and  gastro-intestinal 
catarrh.  The  season  is  from  May  i 
to  Oct.  15. 

Rb'merbad  and  Tuffer,  Styria, 
Austria,  on  the  railway  from  Graz 
to  Trieste,  are  close  together,  at 
an  altitude  of  about  800  feet,  and 
have  simple  thermal  springs. 

Romerbad  is  specially  noted  for 
the  treatment  of  hysteria  and 
chronic  uterine  affections. 

Roncas-Blanc,  near  Marseilles, 
with  which  it  is  connected  by  a 
tramway,  has  a  warm  common 
salt  spring  (as  well  as  sea-baths) 
at  a  temperature  of  70°  F.  It 
contains  20  grammes  per  litre  of 
sodium  chloride  and  2  each  of 
magnesium  chloride  and  calcium, 
magnesium, and  sodium  sulphates. 
It  is  used  for  drinking  and  for 
baths  in  the  same  cases  as  other 
common  salt  springs.  Roncas- 
Blanc  has  the  further  advantage 
of  the  Mediterranean  climate. 

Ronneberg. — A  small  chaly- 
beate spa  in  the  duchy  of  Saxe- 
Altenburg. 

Ronneby.  —  A  Swedish  chaly- 
beate spa,  with  an  "  old  "  and  a 
"  new  ' '  spring— the  latter  contains 
2 -5  of  sulphate  of  iron  and  1-5 


of  sulphate  of  aluminium  per  litre. 
The  "  old  "  spring  is  much  weaker. 
The  stronger  spring  is  used  for 
baths  only,  the  weaker  one  is 
sometimes  drunk. 

Rosenheim,  Upper  Bavaria,  on 
the  line  between  Munich  and 
Salzburg,  at  an  altitude  of  1,640 
feet,  has  brine  baths,  prepared 
with  brine  from  Reichcahll  (240 
grammes  of  sodium  chloride  per 
litre) .  It  has  also  a  weak  chaly- 
beate spring. 

Rothenbrunnen  (Switzerland). — 
A  weak  alkaline  chalybeate  spring, 
on  the  right  bank  of  the  Rhine, 
about  midway  between  Reichenau 
and  Thusis,  said  to  contain  a  little 
iodide  of  sodium.  Its  elevation 
above  the  sea  is  about  2,000  feet. 
Spoken  of  specially  as  a  children's 
bath. 

Rothenfelde,  in  Hanover,  with 
a  station  on  the  line  between 
•Osnabriick  and  Bruckwede,  has 
a  Soolbad.  The  cold  salt  springs 
are  rich  in  free  carbonic  acid 
gas  and  contain  56  grammes 
per  litre  of  sodium  chloride,  and 
also  some  calcium  bicarbonate 
and  magnesium  chloride,  and,  it 
is  reported,  some  iodides  and 
bromides.  A  Mutterlauge  and 
"  bath  salt  "  are  prepared  at  the 
salt  works,  and  used  to  fortify 
the  baths.  A  weaker  water  is  used 
for  drinking.  The  brine,  besides 
being  uaed  for  baths,  is  also  em- 
ployed for  gargling  and  inhala- 
tions. 

These  waters  are  used  in  the 
same  cases  as  other  thermal  Sool 
baths. 

The  season  is  from  the 
beginning  of  May  to  the  middle  of 
October. 

Rouzat,  Department  Puy  de 
Dome,  France,  a  few  miles  'from 
Riom,  at  an  elevation  of  1,300  feet, 
has  cold  earthy  and  common  salt 
springs,  containing  a  little  iron. 

Rubinat  -  Llorach,  a  Spanish 
purgative  water,  coming  from  a 


306  MINERAL    SPRINGS  [PART  I. 


village  of  the  same  name,  is  rich 
in  sodium  sulphate  (96  grammes 
per  litre),  and  has  a  much  smaller 
quantity  of  sulphates  of  mag- 


nesium, calcium,  and  potassium, 
together  5-3  grammes,  and  2 
grammes  of  sodium  chloride.  It 
is  chiefly  exported. 


Saint  Amand  (Department  du  Nord),  France, 
celebrated  for  its  mud  baths,  is  situated  between 
Lille  and  Valenciennes  and  about  160  miles  from 
Paris.  It  is  in  a  flat  country  at  an  elevation  of  100 
feet.  It  has  the  advantage  of  being  near  a  large 
forest.  Fontaine-Bouillon  is  the  nearest  railway 
station  to  the  well-organised  Grand  Hotel  and  Eta- 
blissement  Thermal,  about  two  miles  from  the  town, 
accommodating  about  100  patients  or  guests ;  in 
one  part  of  the  building  the  "  mud  "  baths  are  given, 
while  the  other  part  is  devoted  to  private  baths 
and  douches.  The  springs,  of  which  there  are  five 
(three  only  are  utilised),  are  moderately  warm 
(79°  F.)  and  feebly  mineralised  (1*35  of  solids  per 
litre).  The  chief  constituents  are  calcium  sulphate 
(0*612)  and  magnesium  sulphate  (0*324)  ;  there  are 
also  present  small  amounts  of  chlorides  and  bicar- 
bonates.  They  have  been  classed  amongst  the 
indeterminate  thermal  springs.  Some  authors  term 
them  "  weak  sulphate  of  lime  waters."  They  have 
a  slight  sulphurous  smell.  They  are  drunk  and 
applied  in  the  form  of  baths  and  douches. 

These  waters  are  readily  tolerated  by  the  stomach, 
and  when  drunk  in  large  quantity  aid  the  action 
of  the  mud  baths  as  eliminative  agents,  by  causing 
very  free  diaphoresis  and  diuresis.  They  augment 
the  discharge  of  uric  acid  and  urates. 

They  exercise  a  sedative  action  on  the  stomach, 
and  are  useful  as  table-waters  for  gouty  and  acid 
dyspeptics. 

In  the  form  of  very  hot  douches  and  with  douche- 
massage  they  also  aid  the  action  of  the  mud  baths. 

The  vegeto-mineral  ferruginous  mud,  which  is 
collected  on  the  spot,  is  saturated  with  sulphur  water, 
which  it  encounters  in  the  soil. 


SECT.  B.]  SAINT    AMAND,  307 

Patients  are  immersed  in  this  black  mud  from 
half  an  hour  to  five  hours  at  a  time,  in  separate  com- 
partments so  arranged  that  they  can  read,  write,  and 
feed  in  the  bath.  After  the  mud  bath  the  patient 
is  conveyed  to  the  ordinary  baths  and  washed. 
The  mud  is  also  applied  in  partial  baths  and  as  local 
applications.  The  mud  baths  and  local  applications 
are  given  at  temperatures  varying  from  85°  to  I30°F. 

The  cases  benefited  by  treatment  by  the  mud 
baths  at  St.  Amand  are  those  of  atonic  gout,  chronic 
rheumatism  of  the  muscles  and  joints,  rheumatoid 
arthritis,  obstinate  sciatica,  some  forms  of  paralysis, 
chronic  diseases  of  the  bones  and  joints,  sprains, 
gunshot  wounds,  and  some  forms  of  uterine  disease 
(hypertrophy  and  ulceration).  The  thickenings 
and  infiltrations  associated  with  chronic  phlebitis 
and  varicose  veins  are  greatly  benefited ;  also 
those  associated  with  appendicitis.  Nervous 
affections  with  trembling  and  inco-ordination  and 
the  lightning  pains  of  the  tabetic  are  greatly  relieved  ; 
so  are  certain  skin  diseases,  especially  the  dry  forms 
associated  with  the  rheumatic  and  gouty  constitution. 

Cases  of  neurasthenia  are  especially  benefited  by 
the  combined  mineral  water  and  mud  treatment.  It 
must  be  remembered  that  at  St.  Amand  a  threefold 
curative  agency  is  applied — the  hot  vegeto-mineral 
sulphurous  mud,  the  thermal  springs,  and  the  forest 
air.  There  are  beautiful  shady  walks  in  the  adjacent 
forests. 

The  season  is  from  May  i5th  to  Sept.  3oth. 
The  warm  months  are  most  favourable  for  the  mud 
treatment. 

Saint  Christan,  in  the  Basses-Pyrenees  to  the 
south  of  Pau,  is  situated  at  the  entrance  of  the 
narrow  valley  of  Aspe,  at  an  elevation  of  nearly 
1,000  feet.  It  is  approached  from  the  station  of 
Oloron,  the  terminus  of  a  branch  line  from  Pau,  and 
is  distant  about  six  miles  from  the  station.  Its 
climate  is  mild,  and  is  said  to  be  particularly  sedative. 


308  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

It  has  five  cold  springs  (three  only  are  utilised), 
which  must  be  classed  amongst  the  weakly  mineral- 
ised cold  earthy  waters — as  there  are  only  0*2  to 
0*5  total  solids  per  litre.  The  peculiarity  of  the 
Source  des  Arceaux  is  that  it  has  a  very  small 
amount  of  copper — 0*0003  Per  litre  °f  sulphate  of 
copper ;  it  also  has  a  little  carbonate  of  iron  and 
manganese  (o'ooi).  Another  spring,  Source  du 
Prieure,  is  tepid,  its  temperature  being  about  75°  F., 
and  it  has  a  slightly  sulphurous  smell ;  it  is  more 
strongly  mineralised,  and  contains  more  copper 
than  the  preceding.  Finally,  there  is  the  Source 
du  Pecheur,  a  small  spring,  cold  and  sulphurous, 
and  only  used  for  drinking. 

The  water  is  drunk  in  large  quantities,  two  to 
ten  glasses  daily,  including  that  taken  at  meals. 
Externally  it  is  employed  as  general  and  local  baths, 
fomentations,  irrigations,  douches,  and  pulverisations. 
The  latter  are  especially  popular,  and  form  the  chief 
treatment  applied  to  many  cases.  They  are  modified 
and  adjusted  in  every  possible  way. 

The  internal  use  of  the  water  is  attended  with 
very  free  diuresis,  and  in  gouty  subjects  with  a  free 
elimination  of  uric  acid. 

A  speciality  of  this  spa  is  the  treatment  or 
affections  of  the  mouth  and  tongue :  leucoplasia, 
leucokeratosis,  ulcers,  fissures,  and  indurative  glossitis 
often  associated  with  the  preceding.  Also  leucoplasia 
vulvo-vaginal,  chronic  blepharitis  and  conjunctivitis 
are  advantageously  treated  with  the  warm,  fine 
pulverisations. 

Certain  skin  affections,  especially  eczematous  and 
lichenous  forms  and  acne  and  psoriasis,  are  greatly 
benefited. 

Besides  certain  forms  of  glossitis,  atrophic  or 
catarrhal,  rhinitis  and  pharyngitis  are  suited  to 
this  treatment.  Neurasthenia  from  overwork  is 
beneficially  influenced  by  the  sedative  action  of  the 
waters  and  climate. 

The  establishment  is  open  all  the  year,  but  the 


SECT.  B.]  ST.    GERVAIS.  309 

most  favourable   season   is    from   the    beginning   of 
June  to  the  end  of  September. 

St.  Gervais,  in  the  Department  of  Haute-Savoie, 
France,  is  situated  amidst  grand  and  picturesque 
scenery  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Mont  Blanc. 
It  now  has  a  station  on  the  line  which  connects 
Geneva  with  Chamouni.  The  tfath  establishment 
is  picturesquely  placed  in  a  gorge,  about  2,000  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea.  The  old  bath  was 
situated  in  the  narrow  gorge  of  the  Bonnant,  and 
was  swept  away  by  that  torrent  in  July,  1892,  with 
tragic  results.  The  new  establishment  has  been 
constructed  in  a  more  suitable  situation. 

As  might  be  supposed,  in  an  attractive  moun- 
tainous district  like  this  the  number  of  interesting 
excursions  amongst  the  surrounding  valleys  and 
mountains  are  numerous,  and  of  all  varieties  of  length 
and  difficulty.  The  climate  is  said  to  be  very  mild 
and  particularly  sedative. 

The  village  of  St.  Gervais  lies  higher  than  the 
spa  (2,680  feet)  and  gets  more  sun,  and  the  visitors 
to  the  baths  can  obtain  good  accommodation  there. 
It  is  a  more  suitable  place  of  residence  during  the 
heat  of  midsummer  than  the  baths.  Patients  who 
come  from  Aix  les  Bains  for  an  after-cure  of  mi.d 
mountain  air  at  St.  Gervais  should  choose  the  village 
to  reside  in  rather  than  the  baths. 

The  waters  at  St.  Gervais  have  been  described 
by  some  as  common  salt  and  sulphated  waters,  and 
by  others  as  common  salt,  sulphated,  and  sulphurous 
waters ;  but  only  one  of  the  three  springs  can 
correctly  be  termed  sulphurous,  and  that  is  the  Source 
du  Torrent,  which  contains  H2S.  The  other  two, 
the  Sources  de  Goutard  et  de  Mey,  contain  sodium 
sulphate  1*7  per  litre,  sodium  chloride  17,  calcium 
chloride  0*9,  sodium  bromide  0*032,  and  lithium 
sulphate  0-102.  The  proportion  of  lithium  is  rela- 
tively large. 

The  temperature  of  these  springs  varies  from  102° 


310  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

to  1 08°  F.  As  they  contain  aperient  sulphates  and 
chlorides,  they  are  mildly  laxative  in  large' doses. 

They  are  employed  internally  and  also  externally 
in  the  various  forms  of  baths  and  douches  now 
usually  found  at  all  such  establishments.  They  are 
adapted  to  the  treatment  of  certain  chronic  skin 
diseases,  especially  those  occurring  in  the  neurotic, 
eczema,  psoriasis,  lichen,  prurigo,  etc. 

They  are  given  in  dyspepsia  associated  with 
intestinal  atony  and  constipation,  in  the  gastro- 
hepatic  affections  of  the  gouty,  in  muco-membranous 
entero-colitis,  in  functional  nervous  disorders,  as 
neurasthenia,  neuralgia,  and  especially  sciatica.  The 
sulphur  water  is  also  useful  in  catarrh  of  the  re- 
spiratory organs,  in  hepatic  and  uterine  congestions, 
hemorrhoids,  and  phlebitis. 

The  baths  at  St.  Gervais  are  especially  indicated 
in  those  cases  in  which  it  is  desired  to  combine  with 
bath  treatment  the  tonic  and  soothing  influences  of  a 
mild  mountain  climate. 

The  season  is  from  June  ist  to  Oct.  ist. 

St.  HonorS,  a  thermal  sulphur  bath  in  the  De- 
partment of  the  Nievre,  is  about  190  miles  from 
Paris  and  ib  best  reached  via  Nevers.  Its  station  is 
Vaundenesse,  from  which  it  is  distant  about  six  miles. 

It  is  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains  of 
Morvan  at  an  elevation  of  about  900  feet  above  the 
sea,  between  two  wooded  hills,  on  one  of  which 
stands  the  Chateau  de  la  Montagne.  The  country 
around  is  picturesque  and  is  covered  with  magnifi- 
cent woods  of  great  extent  most  suitable  for  prome- 
nades and  gentle  excursions.  The  springs,  of  which 
there  are  four,  vary  in  temperature  from  80°  to  88°  F. 

Their  mineralisation  is  extremely  feeble  ;  they 
contain,  however,  free  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  nitro- 
gen, and  carbonic  acid  gases,  and  a  very  small 
amount  of  sodium  sulphide  (0*002)  and  arsenate 
(0*00 1  to  0*004)  They  have  a  distinct  though  slight 
odour  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen. 


SECT.  B.]  ST.    HONORE.  311 

The  waters  are  administered  in  various  ways,  but 
the  chief  methods  employed  at  St.  Honore,  besides 
drinking  the  waters,  are  pulverisations  and  hot  douches 
to  the  feet.  The  latter  are  much  prized  there.  The 
natural  gases  from  the  waters  are  also  inhaled. 
Besides  the  application  of  the  natural  thermal  springs, 
courses  of  hydrotherapy  can  be  followed  with  ordi- 
nary \vater  coming  from  the  mountains. 

The  bath  establishment  has  recently  been  re- 
modelled, and  provides  all  the  most  modern  develop- 
ments for  mineral  treatment. 

The  action  of  these  waters  is  described  as,  ulti- 
mately, a  local  sedative  action  on  the  skin  and 
mucous  membranes,  and  a  like  general  effect  on  the 
processes  of  nutrition,  circulation,  and  on  the  nervous 
system.  Its  therapeutic  effects  are  manifested  in  the 
treatment  in  the  first  place  of  diseases  of  the  respira- 
tory organs,  especially  in  feeble  and  excitable 
patients,  chronic  catarrhs  of  the  nose,  pharynx, 
larynx,  and  bronchi,  bronchial  (humid)  asthma,  and 
the  susceptibility  thereto. 

The  treatment  and  the  climate,  the  purity  and 
sedative  action  of  the  air,  are  considered  to  be 
especially  serviceable  in  cases  in  the  early  stage  of 
pulmonary  tuberculosis,  if  there  is  not  much  fever, 
and  if  the  cure  is  a  prolonged  one. 

It  is  useful,  too,  in  certain  skin  diseases,  especially 
eczema  and  impetigo  ;  also  in  uterine  catarrh. 

Diseases  of  children  are  reported  to  be  very 
favourably  influenced  by  the  climate  and  waters 
of  St.  Honore — feeble,  lymphatic  children,  with  scro- 
fulous tendencies,  with  chronic  tonsillitis,  adenitis, 
chronic  bronchitis,  or  asthma.  Every  precaution  is 
taken  to  prevent  the  spread  of  tuberculous  infection. 
The  best  season  for  treatment  is  from  June  i5th  to 
Sept.  1 5th. 

St.  Moritz-Bad,  in  the  Upper  Engadine,  Switzer- 
land, at  an  elevation  of  5,800  feet,  has  chaly- 
beate springs  of  undoubted  value  and  importance. 


3i2  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  l: 

Although  these  springs  do  not  contain  as  much  iron 
as  some  other  well-known  chalybeate  spas,  their 
richness  in  free  carbonic  acid,  their  digestibility,  and 
the  advantage  of  the  fine  bracing  climate,  impart  to 
them  special  activity  as  tonic  and  restorative  agents. 

The  St.  Moritz  springs  have  an  ancient  reputation, 
and  in  the  sixteenth  century  were  recommended  in 
the  writings  of  Paracelsus,  after  whom  the  principal 
spring  is  named  ;  but  they  were  practically  unknown 
in  this  country  until  about  the  year  1860,  when  the 
Upper  Engadine  began  to  attract  attention  on  account 
of  its  climatic  advantages,  and  in  a  very  short  time 
became  a  fashionable  resort,  the  popularity  of  which 
has  gone  on  steadily  increasing  until,  at  the  present 
time,  it  is  one  of  the  most  frequented  health  resorts  in 
Europe.  Of  its  climatic  character  we  shall  have  to 
treat  fully  in  Part  II.  We  must  now  restrict  our- 
selves to  an  account  of  the  waters  of  St.  Moritz. 

Until  about  twelve  or  fifteen  years  ago  there 
were  only  two  springs  utilised  at  St.  Moritz,  situated 
near  the  Kurhaus.  One,  the  weaker,  was  termed  the 
Altequelle,  and  was  used  chiefly  for  the  baths,  and 
the  other  was  named  the  Paracelsus,  or  the  Neue- 
quelle,  and  was  and  is  the  spring  chiefly  used  for 
drinking. 

In  the  year  1886  another  spring  was  discovered 
situated  not  far  from  the  others — the  "  Fontana 
Sarpant " — rather  stronger  in  iron  than  the  other  two. 
In  1892  a  new  hotel  was  opened  close  to  it— the 
Hotel  Neues  Stahlbad — and  since  then  this  spring 
has  been  utilised  both  for  drinking  and  for  baths. 

The  Paracelsusquelle,  the  one  most  commonly 
drunk,  contains  per  litre  0*038  of  bicarbonate  of 
protoxide  of  iron,  the  Altequelle  0*033.  Of  sodium 
bicarbonate  the  former  has  0*181,  and  the  latter 
0*272 ;  of  calcium  bicarbonate  the  Paracelsus  has 
as  much  as  1*301,  and  the  Altequelle  1*226  ;  and  of 
magnesium  bicarbonate  the  former  0*202,  the  latter 
0*197.  They  also  contain  small  amounts  of  sodium 
sulphate  and  chloride,  and  minute  and  unimportant 


SECT.  B.-]  ST-.    MORITZ-BAD.  313 

quantities  of  various  other  ingredients.     The  springs 
are  very  rich  in  free  carbonic  acid. 

The  baths  supplied  chiefly  from  the  Altequelle 
are  heated  by  steam,  after  Pfriem's  system,  by  which 
the  water  loses  but  little  of  its  carbonic  acid.  Their 
chief  effect  is  due  to  the  action  of  the  carbonic  acid 
on  the  skin.  For  the  douches  ordinary  water  is  used, 
flowing  down  at  high  pressure  from  adjacent  slopes. 
This  'is  heated  by  steam.  The  St.  Moritz  water  is 
a  pleasant  refreshing  water  to  drink,  owing  to  the 
amount  of  free  carbonic  acid  it  contains.  The  water 
of  the  Altequelle  is  said  to  prove  rather  more 
digestible,  with  some  invalids,  owing  to  the  amount 
of  sodium  bicarbonate  in  it. 

The  best  time  for  drinking  the  water  is  about 
10  or  1 1  a.m.  Some — Germans  chiefly — drink  it  early, 
before  breakfast ;  but  this  plan  does  not  suit  delicate 
persons,  and  those  who  attempt  it  should  warm  the 
water,  as  drinking  this  cold  water  on  an  empty 
stomach  has  produced  very  depressing  effects  on 
some  persons.  If  a  glass  is  drunk  at  10.30,  another 
may  be  taken  after  a  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes'  walk. 
Between  4.30  and  5.30  in  the  afternoon  is  another 
favourite  time  for  drinking — between  the  afternoon 
walk  and  the  dinner  hour. 

The  Kurhaus  and  the  baths  are  situated  at  a  much 
lower  level  than  the  village  of  St.  Moritz  (an  electric 
tramway  connects  them),  on  the  flat  ground  that 
extends  from  the  St.  Moritz  Lake  to  the  Campfer 
Lake,  and  many  patients  prefer  living  at  the  hotels 
on  the  higher  ground  at  St.  Moritz-dorf.  The  Kulm, 
rather  more  than  a  mile  from  the  baths,  has  an  eleva- 
tion of  6,100  feet.  Many  patients  also  stay  at 
Campfer,  which  is  about  the  same  distance  on  the 
other  side  of  the  baths,  and  not  quite  so  high  as 
St.  Moritz-kulm. 

The  course  of  waters  at  St.  Moritz  is  well  adapted 
to  the  treatment  of  anemic  neurasthenics  who  have 
adequate  capacities  of  reaction  to  the  vigorous  stimu- 
lation of  the  climate.  Anaemic  patients,  with  very 


314  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

feeble  circulation,  and  little  or  no  latent  power  of 
reaction,  get  chilled  and  depressed  there,  and  should 
be  sent  to  lower  levels.  It  is  often  needful  to 
take  aperients  while  drinking  the  St.  Moritz  waters, 
as  the  amount  of  lime  they  contain  is  apt  to  cause 
constipation. 

For  the  same  reason  these  waters  often  prove 
useful  in  cases  of  chronic  diarrhoea,  dependent  on  an 
irritable  condition  of  the  gastro-intestinal  mucous 
membrane,  and  associated  with  nervous  excitability. 
In  such  cases  they  should  be  warmed  before  drinking. 

Cases  of  chlorosis  and  anaemia  in  young  females, 
which  fail  to  improve  with  ordinary  ferruginous  tonics 
administered  at  home,  often  recover  rapidly  at 
St.  Moritz  under  the  combined  influence  of  the  iron 
water,  the  gaseous  baths,  and  the  invigorating  climate. 
Menstrual  irregularities  and  catarrhai  affections  of  the 
pelvic  organs  are  often  benefited  by  treatment  at 
St.  Moritz.  Sterility  due  to  such  causes  is  said  to  be 
often  cured.  Persons  who  suffer  from  functional 
hepatic  disorders,  sluggish  liver,  haemorrhoids,  and 
constipation  should  avoid  the  St.  Moritz  waters. 

It  is  sometimes  advisable,  especially  with  feeble, 
nervous,  and  excitable  patients,  to  test  their  capacity 
for  living  in  a  climate  of  this  kind  by  directing  them 
to  remain  a  few  days  at  an  intermediate  station,  such 
as  Tarasp-Schuls  or  Vulpera  (where  good  accommo- 
dation can  be  had),  or  at  Churwalden  or  Bergun,  or  at 
Soglio  in  the  Val  Bregaglia.  As  the  railway  between 
Thusis  and  the  Engadine  is  now  open,  it  will  be  easy 
to  stop  at  an  intermediate  station  for  a  few  days 
when  good  accommodation  is  provided. 

The  season  for  taking  the  waters  at  St.  Moritz 
is  from  June  i5th  to  Sept.  isth.  The  month  of 
August  is  generally  very  crowded,  and  accommo- 
dation should  always  be  secured  beforehand. 

St.  Nectaire  (Auvergne,  Puy  de  Dome)  is 
situated  at  an  altitude  of  2,500  feet,  about  half-way 
between  the  towns  of  Issoire  and  Mont  Dore,  and 


SECT.  B.]  ST,    NECTAIRE.  315 

about  two  and  a-half  hours  by  road  from  either  place. 
It  is  usually  approached  from  the  railway  station  of 
Coudes  or  from  that  of  Issoire,  a  drive  of  about  two 
hours.  It  is  close  to  some  of  the  finest  and  most 
interesting  mountain  scenery  in  Auvergne.  The 
romantic  and  imposing  ruins  of  the  Chateau  de 
Murols  are  only  three  or  four  miles  distant. 

The  numerous  springs  are  divided  into  two 
groups  —  those  at  St.  Nectaire  le  Haut  (Mont 
Cornadore),  and  those  at  St.  Nectaire  le  Bas, 
about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  from  one  another. 
Twelve  springs  are  utilised,  having  much  the 
same  composition,  but  three  are  hot,  with  a 
temperature  of  103°  to  120°  F.,  and  the  rest  are 
cold.  These  springs  belong  to  the  class  of  alkaline 
and  sodium  chloride  waters.  They  contain  about 
2*5  grammes  of  sodium  chloride,  2-2  of  sodium  bi- 
carbonate, and  ro  of  calcium  bicarbonate  per  litre. 
Some  of  the  springs  contain  a  little  iron,  especially 
La  Source  Rouge,  and  some  are  said  to  contain  small 
amounts  of  lithium  and  arsenic. 

These  waters  are  used  internally,  in  very  varying 
doses,  according  to  the  case.  They  are  also  employed 
as  baths  of  the  natural  temperature  of  the  springs,  or 
at  a  lower  temperature  by  admixture  of  the  water  of 
the  cold  springs.  Douches  of  all  kinds  are  given, 
including  carbonic  acid  gas  douches.  An  intermittent 
spring  at  St.  Nectaire  le  Haut,  very  rich  in  carbonic 
acid,  is  used  as  a  vaginal  douche,  for  the  effect  of  an 
alternating  gas  and  mineral  water  douche. 

Other  measures  employed  are  massage,  hydro- 
therapy,  and  the  air  cure  on  the  neighbouring 
mountains. 

A  variety  of  maladies  are  treated  at  St.  Nectaire, 
such  as  chronic  rheumatism  and  neuralgia,  and 
especially  sciatica  (after  the  acute  period  has 
passed),  by  the  hot  douches,  etc. ;  atonic  forms  of 
dyspepsia  and  chronic  gastric  catarrh  in  rheumatic 
subjects ;  functional,  uterine,  and  ovarian  troubles  in 
torpid,  anaemic,  and  scrofulous  persons.  Latterly 


3i6  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  r. 

cases  of  albuminuria  have  been  claimed  as  suitable  for 
treatment  at  St.  Nectaire,  especially  cases  dependent 
on  gastric  and  nutritional  disturbances,  as  well  as  in 
certain  forms  of  nephritis.  The  season  is  rather  a 
short  one,  from  June  2oth  to  Sept,  i5th,  as  the 
weather  is  apt  to  be  boisterous  and  unsettled  in  the 
mountains  of  Auvergne  earlier  and  later  in  the  year. 

St.  Sauveur  (Hautes  Pyrenees,  France),  a 
thermal  sulphur  bath,  situated  in  the  valley  of  Luz, 
only  a  mile  from  the  latter  place.  Luz  is  a  charming 
little  town  ;  the  meadows  around  it  are  remarkable 
for  their  greenness,  owing  to  being  irrigated  by 
numberless  little  mountain  streams.  It  has  been 
called  "  the  most  Pyrenean  spot  of  the  Pyrenees  "  ; 
it  is  the  spot  from  which  the  tourist  visits  the  Cirque 
de  Gavarnie,  the  great  show^-place  of  the  Pyrenees. 
A  drive  of  three  hours  along  a  road  of  extraordinary 
wild  and  savage  grandeur  leads  to  the  mountain 
village  of  Gavarnie  ;  but  it  is  still  a  walk  of  two 
hours  more  before  you  reach  the  very  depths  of  the 
magnificent  cirque. 

A  good  road,  planted  with  trees,  connects  St. 
Sauveur  with  Luz.  St.  Sauveur  is  par  excellence  the 
ladies'  bath  of  the  Pyrenees,  and  it  enjoyed  for  a  time 
the  personal  patronage  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  III. 
and  the  Empress  Eugenie.  The  springs  are  of  com- 
paratively feeble  mineralisation ;  but,  like  those  of 
other  Pyrenean  spas,  are  characterised  by  containing 
sulphide  of  sodium,  which  gives  them  their  charac- 
teristic odour. 

St.  Sauveur  has  a  hot  spring,  La  Source  des 
Dames,  of  a  temperature  of  95°  R,  and  a  cold  one, 
"  La  Hontalade."  The  former  has  sodium  sulphide 
0*022  per  litre,  and  the  latter  0-019.  The  cold  spring 
is  chiefly  used  for  drinking.  La  Source  des  Dames 
contains  much  barcgine,  and  feels  soft  and  unctuous. 

These  waters  are  applied  especially  to  the 
treatment  of  uterine  maladies,  and  sterility  de- 
pendent thereon,  in  neurotic,  irritable  constitutions, 


SECT.  B.J  ST.    SAUVEUR.  317 

which  need  above  all  things  soothing  and  sedative 
measures.  They  also  prove  useful  in  cases  of  in- 
veterate muscular  rheumatism  in  hypersensitive 
patients;  in  gastralgia  and  dyspepsia  of  a  neurotic 
type  ;  in  cystitis,  when  not  of  uric  acid  origin.  It 
has  a  mild  mountain  climate,  being  at  an  elevation 
of  2,360  feet  above  the  sea.  It  has  rather  a  high 
degree  of  humidity,  and  is  rather  subject  to  mists,  but 
very  free  from  winds.  It  is  considered  sedative,  and 
is  regarded  as  specially  adapted  to  females  who  suffer 
from  pelvic  and  other  maladies  into  which  nervous 
irritability  enters  as  an  important  element.  The 
season  is  from  June  ist  to  Sept.  3oth.  St.  Sauveur 
is  about  seven  miles  from  Pierrefitte,  which  is 
about  fourteen  hours  by  rail  from  Paris.  There  is 
an  electric  railway  between  Pierrefitte  and  Luz. 

Barzun,  with  a  more  exciting  sulphur  water,  is  only  distant 
three-quarters  of  a  mile  (at  Luz),  and  can  be  used  by  residents 
at  St.  Sauveur  if  desired. 

Salies-de-Bearn. — This  is  a  strong  salt  bath  in 
the  Basses-Pyrenees,  twelve  hours  from  Paris  by 
express  train.  It  lies  at  an  elevation  of  200  feet 
amongst  the  wooded  hills  that  separate  the  gave  ol 
Pau  from  that  of  Oldron.  Twenty  miles  to  the  south 
is  the  chain  of  the  Pyrenees,  and  at  the  same  dis- 
tance to  the  west  is  the  Atlantic,  so  that  its  climate  is 
said  to  partake  of  the  characters  both  of  the  moun- 
tain and  of  the  seacoast — soft,  temperate,  sedative,  and 
tonic.  It  is  sheltered  from  the  cold  winds  both 
to  the  north  and  east.  It  has  an  early  spring,  a 
hot  summer,  and  a  protracted  autumn.  The  bath 
establishment  is  open  all  the  year,  but  the  spring 
and  autumn  are  the  best  seasons  for  the  cure. 

The  two  springs  generally  used  are  the  Bayaa 
and  the  Griffon.  Two  wells  termed  Oraas  and  the 
eau  m£re  from  the  neighbouring  salt  works  are 
also  used. 

The   Bayaa    is    highly  mineralised.,   having   256 


3i8  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I. 

grammes  of  salt  to  the  litre ;  it  also  contains 
much  vegetable  organic  matter,  which  imparts 
an  unctuous  feeling  to  it.  The  Griffon  is  less 
highly  saturated. 

A  natural  bath  at  Salies  contains  about  80  kilos 
of  alkaline  salts,  76  kilos  of  which  are  chlorides, 
4  kilos  sulphates  and  carbonates,  200  grammes 
bromides  and  iodides,  and  the  rest  silica,  alumina, 
and  organic  substances. 

The  predominating  bases  are  sodium,  magnesium, 
and  calcium.  Of  the  eaux  meres,  the  richest  con- 
tains 487  grammes  of  salt  per  litre,  10  grammes  of 
which  are  bromide  and  i  gramme  iodide  of  mag- 
nesium. The  Source  Oraas  has  301  grammes  of  salt 
per  litre. 

Baths  and  douches,  general  or  local,  cold,  tepid, 
or  hot,  and  nasal  irrigations,  all  of  the  pure  water, 
are  given.  By  mixture  with  ordinary  water,  in 
various  proportions,  baths  of  various  degrees  of 
strength  are  provided.  Or  they  are  modified  in 
their  action  by  the  addition  of  eau  mere ;  this  is 
also  used  for  compresses  and  lotions.  Massage  and 
out-of-door  exercise  in  this  picturesque  country  are 
additional  means  favourable  to  recovery. 

These  waters  are  regarded  as  exercising  both  a 
sedative  and  stimulating  action  on  the  peripheral 
nerves  and  vessels,  and  thereby  producing  an  im- 
provement in  general  tone — intestinal  congestions 
are  relieved,  elimination  is  promoted,  and  nutrition 
is  improved. 

The  cases  most  suitable  for  treatment  at  Salies  are 
lymphatic  children  with  scrofulo-tuberculous  affec- 
tions of  the  joints,  bones,  glands,  skin,  and  mucous 
membranes.  Young  persons  of  nervous  and  lymphatic 
temperament  with  scoliosis,  incontinence  of  urine, 
amenorrhcea,  dysmenorrhcea,  anaemia,  and  chlorosis. 
Women  with  uterine  troubles  causing  sterility — atony, 
displacements,  chronic  inflammations,  fibromata, 
and  related  nervous  troubles.  Pelvic  and  sciatic 
neuralgias. 


SECT.  B.]  SALINS-DU-JURA.  319 

There  are  numerous  hotels  of  all  kinds  and 
prices,  and  furnished  apartments.  There  are  the 
usual  amusements. 

Salins-du-Jura. — A  cold  salt  bath  in  the  French 
Jura,  not  far  from  the  Swiss  frontier  at  Pontarlier,  and 
approached  by  a  branch  line  from  Mouchard,  between 
Dijon  and  Pontarlier,  402  kilometres  from  Paris. 
It  is  situated  at  an  elevation  of  1,170  feet,  in  a  valley 
running  north  and  south  amongst  mountains  of  about 
2,000  to  3,000  feet  high,  and  has  a  subalpine  tonic 
climate.  The  nights  are  cool,  and  the  north-east 
wind  is  sometimes  troublesome.  It  has  a  dry  soil, 
is  supplied  with  an  abundance  of  pure  water,  and  is 
surrounded  by  vast  forests. 

Its  salubrity  is  reported  to  be  remarkable.  Only 
one  spring  is  utilised  (Puits  a  Muire),  and  that 
contains  27  to  30  grammes  of  solids  per  litre,  of 
which  chloride  of  sodium  forms  23  grammes.  It 
also  contains  chlorides  of  magnesium  and  potassium, 
sulphate  of  lime,  and  a  small  amount  of  bromide 
of  potassium  (0-03).  It  has  a  slightly  sulphurous 
odour. 

The  treatment  at  Salins  consists  mainly  of  baths 
of  the  salt  water,  raised  artificially  to  a  suitable 
temperature,  and  fortified  by  the  addition  of  eaux 
meres  in  varying  proportions,  according  to  the  nature 
of  the  case.  The  eaux  mere  obtained,  after  removal 
of  the  sodium  chloride,  at  the  salt  works,  in  the  usual 
way,  has  a  total  of  317  grammes  of  salt  per  litre, 
158  being  chloride  of  sodium  and  the  rest  composed 
of  chlorides  of  magnesium  and  potassium,  and  2  to 
3  grammes  of  bromide  of  potassium.  The  water 
is  occasionally  prescribed  internally  to  children  in 
doses  of  a  quarter  to  half  a  glass  mixed  with  syrup. 
Salins  has  the  usual  bath  establishment,  with 
appliances  for  hydrotherapy,  douches,  irrigations, 
etc. 

The  eaux  meres  are  also  applied  as  compresses.'-' 
These    waters    have     the     physiological    effects 


320  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

usually  experienced  in  the  application  of  waters 
of  this  type  ;  they  are  tonic,  and  stimulating,  and 
promote  the  absorption  of  inflammatory  exudations. 
If  drunk  they  are  diuretic  and  slightly  laxative. 

The  purity  of  the  air  and  the  salubrity  of  the 
climate  aid  in  no  slight  degree  the  tonic  and 
remedial  action  of  the  waters. 

As  at  like  stations  in  France,  "lymphatism 
and  scrofulo-tuberculous "  affections  are  the  mala- 
dies specially  adapted  to  treatment  at  Salins  : 
scrofulous  affections  of  the  joints,  bones,  glands, 
mucous  membranes,  and  skin;  rickets;  infantile  par- 
alysis ;  torpid  chronic  uterine  affections  ;  fibromata  ; 
old  inflammatory  exudations ;  and  certain  forms 
of  chlorosis.  The  treatment  at  Salins  is  said  to  be 
better  tolerated  by  sensitive  and  excitable  patients 
than  at  some  of  the  stronger  salt  baths.  The  best 
part  of  the  season  is  from  June  2oth  to  Sept. 
1 5th. 

There  are  also  good  hotel  accommodation  and 
the  usual  amusements. 

Salins  Moutiers. — See  Brides  les  Bains,  page  116. 

Salso  Maggiore,  in  the  province  of  Parma, 
Italy,  is  approached  from  the  station  of  Borgo  San 
Donnino,  on  the  main  line  between  Milan  and 
Florence ;  from  that  station  it  is  distant  about  five 
miles,  and  is  connected  with  it  by  a  steam  tramway, 
which  traverses  the  distance  in  half  an  hour.  The 
whole  journey  from  Milan  to  Salso  Maggiore 
occupies  about  two  and  a-quarter  hours. 

Salso  Maggiore  is  a  small  Italian  town  of  about 
1,200  inhabitants,  situated  at  an  elevation  of  nearly 
500  feet  above  the  sea  at  the  extreme  northern  limit 
of  the  Apennines,  where  the  foot  hills  join  the  plain 
of  Lombardy.  From  the  low  hills  behind  the  little 
town  there  is  an  uninterrupted  view  over  this  vast 
plain.  The  surrounding  country  can  hardly  be 
termed  picturesque,  although  some  of  the  visitors 


SECT.  B.]  SALSO    MAGGIORE.  321 

take  a  delight  in  driving  to  certain  old  castles  which 
are  to  be  found  on  the  neighbouring  hills. 

Salso  Maggiore  has  become  widely  known  as  a 
health  resort  on  account  of  the  remarkable  wells 
which  are  found  there.  They  are  quite  unlike  those 
to  be  found  at  any  other  spa  with  which  we  are 
personally  acquainted.  It  is  scarcely  correct  to 
term  them  wells  of  mineral  water,  simply,  because 
they  are  also  wells  of  mineral  oil  and  inflammable 
gases. 

From  these  wells,  which  lie  at  a  considerable 
depth  below  the  surface,  there  is  pumped  up  a 
mixture  of  strong  brine  and  petroleum,  and  from 
this  mixture  an  inflammable  gas  is  given  off,  so 
abundantly  that  it  pays  to  collect  it  and  use  it  for 
illuminating  purposes. 

The  fluid  thus  pumped  up  is  allowed  to  flow 
into  reservoirs,  where  it  separates  into  two  strata— 
the  upper  one  consists  of  a  dark  brownish  liquid, 
which  is  petroleum,  the  lower  stratum  consists  of 
a  strong  brine. 

The  petroleum  is  collected  and  disposed  of  in 
commerce,  and  much  of  the  brine  is  used,  as  at 
other  brine  wells,  in  the  production  of  common  salt. 
This  is  separated  from  the  brine  by  boiling  and 
evaporation.  The  less  soluble  sodium  chloride  is 
deposited,  collected,  and  sold,  and  the  more  soluble 
salts  remain  in  the  residual  liquid,  which  is  termed 
aqua  madre,  and  corresponds  with  the  mother 
lye,  or  Mutterlauge,  or  eaux  meres  of  other  salt 
baths. 

The  gas  given  off  from  the  mixture  of  brine  and 
petroleum  is  collected  and  stored  in  gasometers,  and 
used  for  lighting  and  heating  purposes.  "  It  contains 
two-thirds  methane  and  one-third  ethane  with  heavy 
hydrocarbons  and  carbonic  acid  gas"  (Lancet 
Commissioner). 

For  therapeutic  purposes  the  medical  men  at 
the  baths  used  the  brine  pure,  or  concentrated,  or 
diluted  with  plain  hot  water,  or  sometimes  treated 
L 


322  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

with  carbonate  of  soda  before  concentration  for 
the  purpose  of  getting  rid  of  the  iron  and  some  of 
the  salts  of  lime  and  magnesium  ;  they  also  make 
use  of  the  aqua  madre  in  various  ways,  and  they 
likewise  use  a  mud — that  is,  a  soft  clay  deposit 
formed  in  the  reservoirs — for  local  application. 

The  natural  brine,  strongly  smelling  of  petroleum, 
the  aqua  madre,  and  the  deposited  "  mud  "  are,  then, 
the  three  mineral  agents  used  in  the  treatment  of 
the  cases  that  come  to  Salso  Maggiore. 

The  special  peculiarity  of  the  place  as  a  spa  is 
the  presence  of  petroleum  in  the  brine,  which  renders 
it  unfit  for  drinking,  however  much  diluted.  To 
what  extent  the  antiseptic  properties  of  the  petroleum 
may  promote  or  enhance  the  curative  effects  of  the 
brine  it  is  difficult  to  estimate.  We  are  disposed  to 
think  it  is  not  inconsiderable. 

The  analysis  of  the  water  recently  made  in  the 
Lancet  laboratory  shows  it  to  contain  169*31 
grammes  of  solids  per  litre,  146*29  of  which  are 
sodium  chloride,  and  22*06  other  chlorides — calcium, 
magnesium,  ammonium,  strontium,  and  lithium. 
The  lithium  chloride  amounts  to  about  0*64,  or 
"  5  grains  per  pint,"  a  relatively  large  proportion  of 
this  salt,  but  in  a  water  that  cannot  be  drunk  the 
presence  of  this  constituent  is,  of  course,  of  minor 
importance. 

The  same  remark  applies  to  the  presence  of  salts 
of  strontium,  of  which  there  are  0*5  of  the  chloride 
and  0*48  of  the  sulphate. 

The  brine  is  also  comparatively  rich  in  com- 
pounds of  iodine  and  bromine,  as  it  contains  per 
litre  0*066  of  magnesium  iodide  and  0*30  of  mag- 
nesium bromide.  Its  natural  temperature  is  68°  F., 
and  its  specific  gravity  1 120. 

The  brine,  as  it  is  collected  from  the  well,  is 
turbid  and  brownish  from  precipitation  of  ferric 
oxide. 

The  composition  of  the  aqua  madre,  which  has 
become  concentrated  by  evaporation,  and  relatively 


SECT.  B  ]  SALSO    MAGGIORE.  323 

much  richer  in  certain  constituents  from  the  separa- 
tion of  much  of  the  sodium  chloride,  has  been  thus 
estimated : — In  the  strongest,  having  a  density  of 
1270,  there  were  found,  per  litre,  369*4  of  solids,  of 
which  only  4  5  -8  6  consisted  of  sodium  chloride,  while 
the  calcium  chloride  had  increased  to  221*55,  anc^  the 
other  chlorides  (magnesium,  strontium,  ammonium, 
and  lithium)  to  96*15  ;  the  magnesium  iodide  to  ro, 
and  the  magnesium  bromide  to  4'835. 

Compared  with  other  waters  of  the  same  type, 
it  is  exceptionally  rich  in  compounds  of  lithium, 
bromine,  and  iodine.  It  has  been  calculated  that 
there  are  in  a  pint  of  this  aqua  madre  ^o  grains  of 
lithium  chloride,  37  of  magnesium  bromide,  and  8 
of  magnesium  iodide.  "They  are  also  saturated 
with  gaseous  hydrocarbons,  and  these  contain 
impurities  of  a  bituminous  nature  and  sulphur" 
(Lancet  Commissioner). 

As  already  mentioned,  these  waters  are  only 
suitable  for  external  use,  or  for  absorption,  to  what- 
ever extent  is  possible,  by  the  inhalation  of  the 
fine  spray  and  vapour. 

There  are  three  chief  bath  establishments,  the 
largest  and  most  perfectly  equipped  being  the 
"Terme  Magnaghi."  The  baths  are  prepared  of 
graduated  and  varying  strength,  according  to  the 
case ;  the  average  strength  is  obtained  by  diluting 
the  natural  brine,  which  has  a  density  of  1120,  till 
its  specific  gravity  is  reduced  to  1096.  These  baths 
are  ordered  to  be  taken  daily  or  on  alternate  days, 
and  they  can  be  obtained  in  the  Grand  Hotel  des 
Thermes,  thus  saving  the  residents  the  inconvenience 
of  going  out  for  them.  The  course  lasts  usually 
about  three  weeks.  If  it  is  thought  desirable  to 
increase  the  strength  of  the  bath  in  iodine  and 
bromine  this  can  be  done  by  adding  aqua 
madre. 

In  the  bath  establishment  special  provision  is 
made  on  an  elaborate  scale  for  treatment  by  inhala- 
tion. This  is  carried  out  in  two  ways  ;  one  is  the 


324  MINERAL    SPRINGS  [PART  i 

inhalation  of  the  spray  by  means  of  Seigle's  steam 
atomisers,  and  the  other  is  by  admitting  the  patients 
into  a  special  chamber  (after  the  manner  at  Mont 
Dore),  which  is  filled,  by  means  of  special  apparatus, 
with  the  vapour  and  fine  spray  of  the  water.  In 
this  chamber  the  patients,  enveloped  in  a  suitable 
covering,  sit,  or  promenade,  or  engage  in  gymnastic 
exercises,  as  exercise  is  regarded  as  promoting  the 
absorption  of  the  saline  vapour.  "  The  odour  in 
this  room  is  strongly  suggestive  of  an  iodo-organic 
compound,  as  well  as  oily  "  {Lancet  Commissioner). 
A  new  building  has  recently  been  opened  for 
the  extension  of  this  method  of  treatment.  The 
mud,  of  which  we  have  spoken,  is  saturated 
with  the  salts  of  the  water,  and  also  contains 
petroleum,  and  is  applied  locally  in  suitable  cases 
as  a  kind  of  poultice,  when  a  powerful  local  effect 
is  desired. 

Accessories  to  the  mineral-water  treatment  are 
provided  in  the  form  of  an  X-ray  room,  a  high- 
frequency  apparatus,  and  an  apparatus  for  the 
application  of  the  ultra-violet  rays  ;  there  is  also 
adequate  provision  for  skilled  massage  and  for 
mechanotherapy.  Special  care  is  taken  to  maintain 
the  baths,  the  linen,  and  everything  used  in  the  bath 
establishments  perfectly  clean  and  aseptic. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  the  authorities  have 
taken  remarkable  pains  to  give  to  Salso  Maggiore 
the  most  complete  possible  equipment  as  a  modern 
spa. 

It  only  now  remains  to  mention  the  class  of 
cases  that  are  best  suited  to  treatment  there.  As 
in  all  spas  of  this  type,  scrofulous  or  tuberculous 
maladies  stand  in  the  foremost  place,  whether  affect- 
ing the  bones,  the  joints,  the  glands,  or  the  skin. 
It  was  in  such  cases  that  the  beneficial  action  of 
these  waters  was  first  noted,  and  also  in  cases  of 
secondary  and  tertiary  syphilis.  It  is  the  custom 
now  to  send  parties  of  poor  scrofulous  patients  to  be 
treated  at  the  sanatorium  for  three  weeks  at  a  time. 


SECT.  B.]  SALSO    MAGGIORE.  325 

The  sequelae  of  gonorrhceal  infection — especially  of 
the  pelvic  organs  in  women — and  arthritic  troubles 
are  also  treated  successfully.  Chronic  inflammatory 
exudations,  peritoneal,  pleural,  and  periarticular,  are 
especially  amenable  to  treatment  there.  It  is 
believed  that  there  is  a  considerable  absorption  of 
the  saline  and  other  substances  contained  in  the 
water  by  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  air  passages 
from  the  inhalations,  and  these  are  found  very 
serviceable  in  chronic  catarrhal  affections  of  the 
nose,  throat,  and  upper  air  passages.  Chronic  bron- 
chial catarrh  and  catarrhal  asthma  are  also  reported 
as  benefited.  The  treatment  of  throat  affections 
occupies  a  special  prominence,  and  an  eminent  throat 
specialist  resides  there. 

It  is  doubtful  if  these  baths  have  any  special 
advantage  over  others  in  the  treatment  of  chronic 
articular  affections  dependent  on  gout  and  rheuma- 
tism. Every  bath,  or  nearly  every  bath,  claims 
credit  for  curing  such  cases.  Doubtless  the  hot 
application  of  the  mineral  waters  and  the  mineral 
mud  are  calculated  to  relieve  some  of  the  joint 
affections  associated  with  these  constitutional  states. 

There  seems  to  be  a  general  consent  as  to  the 
value  of  this  treatment  in  certain  gynaecological  cases, 
such  as  pelvic  peritonitis  and  cellulitis,  endopara-  and 
endoperimetritis,  and  in  menstrual  troubles.  It  is 
also  said  to  remove  the  causes  of  sterility  in  certain 
cases. 

Certain  anaemic,  chlorotic,  and  neurasthenic  cases 
are  said  to  improve  there. 

Traumatic  cases — old  painful  cicatrices — disloca- 
tions, fractures,  etc.,  are  reported  as  particularly 
benefited,  especially  by  the  local  application  of 
the  mud  or  fan  go. 

With  regard  to  some  of  these  maladies  it  may 
perhaps  be  said  that,  as  in  many  similar  resorts, 
the  net  has  been  cast  rather  too  widely,  and  that 
the  tendency  has  been  to  over-estimate  the  extent 
of  applicability  of  this  spa. 


326  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i 

Excellent  accommodation  can  be  obtained  at 
the  Grand  Hotel  des  Thermes,  which  is  under  very 
capable  management. 

The  season  is  from  April  ist  to  the  end  of 
October,  but  the  most  suitable  time  for  English 
visitors  is  the  spring  and  autumn — April,  May, 
June,  September,  and  October.  In  July  and  August, 
and  sometimes  in  the  early  part  of  September,  it 
is  unpleasantly  hot. 

Salzschlirf.— A  spa  situated  in  Hesse-Nassau, 
near  Fulda,  with  a  station  on  the  Giessen-Fulda 
Railway.  It  lies  at  an  elevation  of  820  feet,  in 
an  agreeable  valley,  between  the  wooded  heights 
of  the  Vogelsberge  and  the  Rhon  mountains. 

It  has  a  cold  gaseous  common  salt  spring,  the 
Bonifaciusbrunnen,  and  some  importance  is  attached 
to  the  amount  of  lithium  chloride  it  contains,  0*21 
grammes  per  litre,  and  to  the  presence  of  minute 
amounts  of  magnesium  bromide  and  iodide,  0*005 
of  each.  Of  sodium  chloride  it  contains  10*0  per 
litre,  of  calcium  sulphate  1-5,  and  of  magnesium 
chloride  ro. 

It  is  also  fairly  rich  in  carbonic  acid  gas. 

Of  the  other  springs,  one,  the  Templebrunnen, 
has  less  lithium  but  more  of  the  other  salts,  the 
Kinderbrunnen  is  much  weaker,  and  the  Schwefel- 
brunnen  also  has  much  less  solids,  but  it  contains 
H.S,  six  volumes  per  litre.  A  purgative  water 
obtained  from  the  neighbouring  village,  Grossen- 
luekler,  is  also  used  there.  Besides  sodium  chloride 
(15*4)  it  contains  magnesium  sulphate  (1*3),  and 
calcium  sulphate  and  carbonate  (1*6  each),  and  a 
little  carbonate  of  iron.  The  springs  are  used  as 
baths,  and  the  Bonifaciusbrunnen  is  drunk  and 
used  for  gargles  and  inhalations.  Mud  baths  are 
also  available. 

The  drinking  is  usually  done  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, between  7  and  8  a.m.,  and  you  are  directed 
to  sip  the  water,  taking  a  quarter  of  an  hour  to 


SECT.  B.]  SALZSCHLIRF.  327 

drink    each  glass.     More   water  is  taken   again   at 

5  P-m- 

The  baths  are  taken  at  first  for  ten  minutes  at 

a  time,  and  this  period  is  increased  by  five  minutes 
daily,  until  the  full  period  of  thirty-five  minutes  is 
reached. 

These  waters  are  reported  as  of  remarkable  value 
in  the  treatment  of  chronic  gout  and  the  various 
manifestations  of  the  uric  acid  diathesis,  and  in 
impaired  metabolism  and  nutrition  generally. 

They  are  also  useful  in  rheumatism,  renal  and 
biliary  calculus,  cystitis  from  uric  acid,  gastro-intes- 
tinal  catarrh,  obesity,  and  some  female  complaints. 
The  St.  Boniface  spring  is  said  to  be  the  richest 
of  all  the  spas  in  Germany  in  lithium.  The  water  is 
largely  exported. 

The  season  is  from  May  ist  to  the  end  of  Sep- 
tember. 

Schinznach  is  a  popular  Swiss  thermal  sulphur 
bath,  in  a  very  accessible  and  pleasant  situation, 
being  on  the  Bale-Olten-Zurich  Railway.  It  lies 
at  an  altitude  of  about  1,100  feet,  in  the  valley  of 
the  Aar.  The  rapid  current  of  this  river  flows 
along  between  the  bath  and  the  line  of  railway, 
and  imparts  a  refreshing  movement  to  the  air,  even 
during  the  hottest  seasons. 

The  bath  establishment  is  distinct  from  the 
village  and  is  surrounded  by  its  own  grounds,  and 
has  been  sometimes  termed  the  "  Habsburger-Bad," 
from  the  circumstance  that  the  ruined  castle  of 
Habsburg  is  on  a  neighbouring  height  Extensive 
woods  are  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  spa. 
Schinznach  has  a  mild  and  temperate  climate,  but 
it  can  be  hot  in  summer ;  the  adjacent  woods, 
however,  afford  cool  and  shady  retreats. 

The  temperature  of  its  warm  sulphur  spring 
seems  to  be  variable,  and  to  range  between  about 
83°  and  95°  F.  It  is  rich  in  sulphuretted  hydrogen, 
and  of  its  solid  constituents  of  2*1  per  litre,  calcium 


328  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

sulphate  forms  nearly  one  half  (ro),  and  sodium 
chloride  0*6 ;  there  is  also  a  minute  amount  of 
sulphide  of  calcium  (0*008). 

The  bath  establishment,  which  also  serves  as 
a  hotel,  is  well  provided  with  the  appliances  needed 
to  give  ordinary  baths,  or  vapour  baths,  or  nasal 
and  local  douches,  and  for  the  inhalation  of  the 
pulverised  water,  or  of  the  gases  given  off  by  it. 
It  has  a  special  building  devoted  to  pulverisation, 
inhalations,  and  gargling. 

It  is  sometimes  found  necessary  to  heat  the 
natural  water  for  the  baths,  which  are  occasionally 
ordered  of  very  long  duration,  especially  in  certain 
chronic  skin  affections  requiring  long  maceration — 
those  baths  may  be  prolonged  to  one  and  a-half 
or  two  hours.  The  waters  are  also  taken  internally 
before  the  baths. 

This  spa  has  recently  been  much  recommended 
in  cases  of  chronic  gout  and  rheumatism,  but  its 
established  reputation  is  chiefly  in  connection  with 
the  treatment  of  chronic,  obstinate  skin  affections, 
especially  eczema. 

The  inhalations,  etc.,  are  also  found  useful  in 
chronic  catarrh  of  the  respiratory  organs,  in  naso- 
pharyngeal  catarrh,  and  chronic  bronchitis.  In 
syphilis  and  in  metallic  intoxications  the  treatment 
is  also  useful.  In  scrofulous  affections  and  in 
leucorrhcea  and  other  female  maladies  it  has  proved 
serviceable.  The  bromo-iodide  water  of  the  adjacent 
Wildegg  spring  is  also  employed  there. 

The  season  is  from  May  ist  to  Oct.  ist. 

Schlangenbad  (in  Nassau)  is  beautifully  situated 
about  midway  between  Eltville,  a  port  on  the  Rhine, 
and  Schwalbach.  Steam  trams  run  to  it  from 
Eltville.  It  is  difficult  to  imagine  a  more  picturesque 
spot  for  a  watering-place  than  Schlangenbad  —a  wind- 
ing valley,  turning  upon  itself  with  a  sharp  bend, 
so  that  one  end  of  the  village  is  brought  nearly  on 
a  line  with  the  other,  surrounded  by  high  wooded 


SECT.  B.]  SCHLANGENBAD.  329 

hills,  their  lower  slopes  covered  with  scattered  villas 
surrounded  by  flower-gardens  and  bright  green  lawns 
—such  is  Schlangenbad.  A  pretty,  quiet,  peaceful 
retreat.  It  has  a  Kursaal,  with  shady  walks  and 
seats  around,  nice  clean  hotels  and  three  bath-houses, 
one  quite  modern,  where  the  patients  can  live  in 
apartments,  some  of  which  are  even  elegantly  fur- 
nished, at  a  fixed  price.  On  the  ground  floor  are 
the  baths ;  these  are  extremely  well  arranged. 
Those  in  the  modern  bath-house  are  really  luxurious. 
Reclining  in  one  of  those  sumptuous  baths,  the  water, 
with  its  delicious  softness  and  pleasant  temperature, 
seems  to  envelop  the  whole  body  with  a  sort  of 
diffused  caress  ;  while,  from  some  peculiar  property 
in  the  water,  it  gives  a  singular  lustrous  beauty  to 
the  skin,  which  seems  to  be  suddenly  endowed  with 
a  remarkable  softness  and  brilliancy.  It  certainly  tends 
to  put  one  upon  the  best  possible  terms  with  one- 
self, and  one  can  readily  understand  the  calming 
influence  which  these  baths  are  found  to  exert  over 
irritable  and  disturbed  states  of  the  nervous  system. 

Schlangenbad,  900  feet  above  the  sea,  belongs  to 
the  group  of  so-called  indifferent  earthy  baths,  and 
is  very  feebly  mineralised,  having  only  0*4  of  solids 
per  litre,  and  thus  resembles  Gastein,  Pfaeffers,  and 
Wildbad ;  the  natural  temperature  of  the  water 
ranges  from  81°  to  89°  F. ;  it  is  raised  in  the 
baths  to  from  87°  to  92°.  Less  stimulating  than  the 
same  kind  of  water  at  higher  temperatures,  as  at 
Teplitz  and  Gastein,  it  is  therefore  more  suitable 
to  those  sensitive  organisations  whose  nervous 
systems  above  all  things  need  a  soothing  treatment, 
and  its  comparatively  slight  elevation  above  the  sea 
accords  with  this  indication,  for  its  climate  is  mild, 
though  fresh  and  equable.  The  surrounding  woods 
afford  every  opportunity  for  open-air  exercise  and 
lounging,  and  the  quiet  yet  pleasing  life  there  makes 
this  place  the  type  of  cheerful  repose.  It  produces 
a  calming  and  at  the  same  time  refreshing  effect 
upon  the  invalid  requiring  gentle  management,  and 


330  MINERAL  SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

is  therefore  particularly  suited  to  irritable  forms  of 
neurasthenia.  Delicate  ladies  who  suffer  from 
hysterical  and  other  forms  of  nervous  excitability 
and  exhaustion  and  chronic  uterine  maladies,  and 
who  need  repose,  are  especially  suited  for  this  spa. 

Painful  forms  of  spinal  disease,  with  loss  of 
muscular  power,  unable  to  bear  the  stimulating  treat- 
ment of  the  thermal  salt  baths,  are  often  soothed 
and  benefited  by  treatment  there.  Milk  and  whey 
cures  can  also  be  had. 

The  season  is  from  May  ist  to  Oct.  ist. 

Schwalbach,  or  Langen  -  Schwalbach  (Hessen  - 
Nassau),  is  perhaps  the  most  renowned  of  all 
European  chalybeate  spas.  Although  Schwalbach 
is  nearly  1,000  feet  above  the  sea,  it  is  much 
hotter  than  might  be  expected  in  a  place  of  that 
elevation,  owing  to  its  being  so  much  protected 
by  the  hills  around,  so  that  it  becomes  very  hot 
in  the  floor  of  the  valley,  during  the  middle  of  the 
day,  in  the  months  of  July  and  August.  As  the 
visitors  to  Schwalbach  are  for  the  most  part  anaemic 
patients,  the  life  there  is,  as  may  be  imagined,  very 
quiet,  and  devoted  chiefly  to  drinking  the  waters 
and  bathing  in  them.  Schwalbach  possesses  a  good 
Kursaal.  The  hotels  are  good,  and  situated  close 
to  the  springs  and  the  bath-house,  but  many  persons 
live  in  lodging-houses,  which  are  numerous  and  com- 
fortable, and  in  some  cases  moderate  in  price.  Schwal- 
bach is  especially  an  iron  cure.  It  is  the  iron  cure  of 
Germany.  Its  water  belongs  to  the  class  of  simple 
iron  springs  in  which  the  iron  exists  as  the  chief  con- 
stituent, unassociated  with  any  ingredients  which  can 
complicate  or  interfere  with  its  action.  'It  is  one 
of  the  strongest  and  purest  iron  waters  in  Europe. 
It  also  has  the  advantage  of  possessing  a  very  large 
proportion  of  free  carbonic  acid,  which  makes  it 
sparkling  and  pleasant  to  drink,  increases  its  diges- 
tibility, and  renders  it  valuable  as  a  medium  for 
bathing  in. 


SECT.  B.]  SCHWALBACH.  331 

There  are  only  two  springs  that  are  used  for 
drinking — the  Weinbrunnen  and  the  Stahlbrunnen. 
The  Stahlbrunnen  contains  much  more  iron  than 
'the  Weinbrunnen  and  rather  more  carbonic  acid. 
The  former  contains  per  litre  0*08,  and  the  latter 
0*06  of  bicarbonate  of  iron.  Minute  amounts  of 
manganese  are  said  to  be  also  found  in  these  springs. 
There  are  many  other  springs,  the  water  supplied 
by  which  is  used  for  the  baths,  and  others  which  are 
not  utilised  at  all. 

The  bathing  arrangements  at  Schwalbach  are 
good.  The  chief  benefit  of  the  bath  being  believed 
to  consist  in  the  action  of  the  carbonic  acid,  which 
the  water  contains,  on  the  skin,  it  is  so  contrived 
that  as  little  as  possible  of  this  gas  shall  escape  in 
the  conveyance  of  the  water  to  the  bath,  while  the 
bath  itself  is  of  copper,  and  is  provided  with  a  double 
bottom.  Between  the  two  bottoms  is  a  chamber, 
into  which  steam  is  conveyed  for  the  purpose  of 
heating  the  water  to  the  required  temperature.  As 
the  water  in  the  bath  becomes  heated  it  gives  off 
myriads  of  bubbles  of  carbonic  acid  gas,  and  the 
contact  of  this  gas  with  the  skin  is  considered  to 
have  a  beneficial  effect  upon  the  superficial  vessels 
and  nerves.  There  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  gas 
does  exercise  a  distinct  influence  on  the  skin,  which 
becomes  red  and  experiences  a  diffused  tingling 
sensation. 

Peat  baths  are  also  given  at  Schwalbach.  The 
peat  is  obtained  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  is  mixed 
with  the  mineral  water  and  heated  by  steam  in 
wooden  tubs  to  the  temperature  required.  It  is 
thought  best  in  some  cases  to  commence  the  treat- 
ment with  the  peat  baths  and  follow  on  with  the 
chalybeate  baths. 

The  temperature  of  the  iron  baths  is  generally 
lowered,  if  the  patient  can  bear  it,  as  the  course 
advances.  A  period  of  repose  is  advisable  after  the  peat 
bath.  Abdominal  massage  has  been  found  useful  in 
some  cases  that  are  constipated  by  the  iron  waters. 


332  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

The  course  at  Schwalbach  is  considered  especially 
applicable  to  cases  of  bloodlessness,  arising  as  a  con- 
sequence of  haemorrhages,  or  of  any  exhausting 
disease,  or  in  retarded  convalescence  from  acute 
maladies ;  also  in  anaemia,  so  often  associated  with 
disturbances  of  the  nervous  system — hysteria,  etc. 
In  these  latter  cases,  the  use  of  the  tonic  water,  the 
soothing  baths,  and  the  influence  of  the  calm  but,  at 
the  same  time,  cheerful  surroundings  of  the  place 
should  exercise  an  undoubtedly  curative  effect.  In 
leucorrhcea  and  chronic  uterine  affections  which  are 
often  treated  with  advantage  at  Schwalbach,  vaginal 
douches  of  the  mineral  water  are  found  serviceable. 

The  season  is  from  May  ist  to  Oct.  i5th.  Those 
who  suffer  much  from  heat  had  better  choose  the 
earlier  or  later  parts  of  the  season. 

Soden  is  one  of  the  several  common  salt  spas 
which  are  found  on  the  southern  slope  of  the  Taunus 
mountains.  It  is  connected  with  the  Taunus  railway 
by  a  branch  at  Hochst,  and  so  is  brought  within  half 
an  hour  of  Frankfort.  It  is  about  nine  miles  from 
Homburg,  and  is  prettily  situated,  at  an  elevation  of 
about  450  feet,  in  a  valley  bounded  to  the  north  by 
wooded  hills,  which  form,  as  it  were,  the  base  of 
the  two  highest  peaks  of  the  chain,  the  Alt  Konig 
and  the  Feldberg.  It  lies  open  to  the  south,  but 
is  protected  also  by  hills  of  gentle  elevation  to  the  east 
and  west.  From  its  protected  situation  the  climate  of 
Soden  is  essentially  a  mild  one,  the  air  is  balmy  and 
soft  and  still,  though  the  close  vicinity  of  the  moun- 
tain chain  often  causes  a  freshness  in  the  evening  air 
w^hich  is  grateful  and  invigorating.  It  is  possible 
there  for  invalids  to  spend  much  time  in  the  open  air 
with  advantage,  and  this  they  often  do,  extended  in 
hammocks  suspended  from  the  branches  of  trees.  It 
is  found  that  persons  with  chronic  catarrhal  con- 
ditions of  the  throat  and  air-tubes,  and  cases  of 
consumption  that  require  soothing  rather  than 
bracing  treatment,  do  well  at  Soden. 


SECT.  B.]  SPA.  333 

Cases  which  require  bracing  are  not  suited  to  it. 
Cases  of  purely  nervous  asthma  do  not  do  well  there, 
while  the  catarrhal  cases  improve.  Soden  has  a  great 
number  of  mineral  springs,  twenty-four  altogether, 
and,  although  they  vary  scarcely  at  all  in  the  nature 
of  their  ingredients,  they  vary  greatly  in  their 
quantity  and  in  temperature.  Their  temperature 
ranges  from  52°  to  86°  F.,  and  their  contents  of 
chloride  of  sodium  from  2-4  to  15  grammes  per  litre. 
They  vary  much  also  in  their  richness  in  carbonic 
acid  gas ;  some  contain  scarcely  any,  others,  such  as  the 
Champagnerbrunnen,  a  great  deal.  There  are  springs 
as  strong  as  those  of  Homburg  and  Kissingen  ;  there 
are  others  which  are  as  pleasantly  mild  and  gaseous 
as  seltzer- water.  The  milder  springs  have  been  found 
of  great  use  in  cases  of  chronic  bronchial  catarrh. 
Such  are  the  Warmbrunnen  and  Milchbrunnen,  con- 
taining only  2  to  3  grammes  per  litre  of  common 
salt  ;  these  are  largely  drunk  in  catarrhal  affections 
of  the  respiratory  organs.  Some  of  the  springs 
contain  an  appreciable  amount  of  iron. 

There  is  one — the  Soolensprudel — used  in  the  pre- 
paration of  gaseous  thermal  Sool  baths  which,  besides 
being  very  rich  in  carbonic  acid  gas,  contains  also 
a  little  ELS.  A  chalybeate  spring  can  be  drunk,  a 
short  distance  from  Soden,  at  Neuenhain.  Soden 
possesses  a  conveniently  arranged  bath-house,  where 
douches  and  many  varieties  of  baths  can  be  given, 
including  salt  baths  and  gaseous  salt  baths ;  it  also 
has  inhalation  rooms  for  the  treatment  of  chronic 
laryngitis  and  bronchitis.  Scrofulous  children  are 
said  to  do  well  at  Soden.  Dr.  Dettweiler's  Kuran- 
stalt  Falkenstein  is  only  about  three  miles  off. 

The  season  is  from  May  to  the  end  of  September. 

Spa,  in  Belgium,  close  to  the  German  frontier,  is 
agreeably  situated  in  a  valley  of  the  Ardennes,  at  an 
elevation  of  about  1,000  feet  above  the  sea.  Having 
been  a  popular  European  resort  for  centuries,  it  has 
had  the  distinction  of  giving  the  name  of  "spa"  to 


334  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

all  places  resorted  to  for  the  purposes  of  treatment 
by  mineral  waters. 

Spa  is  very  fortunate  in  its  surroundings.  The 
town  itself  is  beautifully  and  tastefully  laid  out,  but 
it  is  in  the  beauty  of  the  drives  and  walks  on  the  hills 
and  high  ground  around  that  its  real  charm  is  to  be 
found.  The  country  roads  are  lined  with  avenues 
of  tall  trees,  which  afford  pleasant  shade  at  all 
times  of  the  day  and  in  the  hottest  seasons  ;  and 
although  Spa  itself  lies  in  a  hollow,  the  air  on  the  hills 
around  is  most  fresh  and  exhilarating. 

The  climate,  then,  of  Spa  may  be  said  to  be  that 
of  the  surrounding  forests  and  hills  or  high  plateaux  ; 
that  is  to  say,  bright  and  fresh,  without  being  subject 
to  great  heat  in  summer,  but,  as  in  all  hilly  countries, 
subject  to  sudden  and  great  changes  of  temperature 
occasionally. 

Its  springs  belong  to  the  class  of  pure,  or  almost 
pure,  gaseous  chalybeate  waters,  and  contain  much 
free  carbonic  acid  gas.  There  are  eight  or  nine  alto- 
gether, but  only  two  are  found  in  the  town  ;  the  rest 
are  scattered  about  in  picturesque  spots  on  the  adja- 
cent hills.  The  springs  situated  in  the  town,  and 
which  are  chiefly  used,  are  Ponhon  Pierre  le  Grand, 
and  Ponhon  Prince  de  Conde.  It  is  maintained  that 
these  springs  contain  more  iron  than  any  of  the  other 
European  iron  waters,  and  this  may  be  the  case, 
although  the  available  analyses  do  not  all  agree  as  to 
the  exact  amount  found  in  these  sources. 

Ponhon  Pierre  le  Grand,  the  strongest,  is  said  to 
contain,  per  litre,  0-112  grammes  of  bicarbonate  of 
iron;  the  others  to  contain  0*08,  0*06,  and  0*04 
per  litre.  They  contain  also  small  quantities  of 
sodium  bicarbonate  and  chloride.  But  more  recent 
and  authoritative,  analyses  are  to  be  desired.  The 
water  is  ordered  to  be  sipped,  or  drunk  slowly 
through  a  glass  tube,  in  order  that  the  stomach 
may  not  be  chilled  by  a  large,  hasty  draught  of 
the  cold  water.  The  waters  are  prescribed  in  doses 
of  two  to  five  glasses  daily  of  six  ounces  each,  and 


SECT.  B]  SPA.  335 

or  persons  who  are  strong  enough,  and  who  find 
it  agrees  with  them  to  do  so,  they  are  ordered  to  be 
taken  in  the  early  morning,  between  6  and  8  a.m.  ; 
but  this  hour  rarely  suits  English  patients,  and  it  is 
by  no  means  desirable  to  disturb  feeble  anaemic 
persons  at  that  early  hour.  For  such  patients  about 
an  hour  before  lunch  is  a  good  time ;  and  again  in 
the  afternoon,  about  an  hour  and  a-half  or  two 
hours  before  dinner. 

Those  who  drink  at  the  more  distant  springs  can 
take  their  second  dose  of  water  in  their  afternoon 
drive  at  the  Tonnelet,  the  Marie-Henriette,  or  the 
Geronstere. 

There  is  a  well-arranged  bath  establishment  in 
the  town,  having  a  special  spring  of  its  own,  the 
Niveze,  which  arises  about  a  mile  and  a-half  from 
Spa.  These  baths,  as  at  Schwalbach,  are  believed  to 
produce  their  tonic  effect  mainly  by  the  action  of  the 
carbonic  acid  on  the  nerves  of  the  skin. 

At  Spa  much  value  is  placed  on  the  use  of  the  hip 
bath  of  warm  running  water,  so  that  the  temperature 
is  kept  constant  during  the  bath.  It  is  prescribed  in 
cases  of  leucorrhcea  and  female  pelvic  diseases,  the 
local  action  of  the  water  being  ensured  by  the  use  of  a 
wire  vaginal  speculum  during  the  bath,  which  the 
patient  can  herself  introduce. 

The  methods  of  hydrotherapy,  and  especially  the 
use  or  cold  water  douches,  are  much  in  vogue  at  Spa, 
and  contribute,  no  doubt,  greatly  to  the  tonic  effect 
of  the  iron  waters. 

Mud  baths  are  also  in  use  there.  They  are  made 
by  mixing  a  turf  which  abounds  in  the  neighbourhood 
with  the  mineral  water. 

If  the  chalybeate  waters  cause  constipation,  it  is 
usual  to  give  an  imported  Hungarian  bitter  water, 
such  as  Apenta,  to  act  as  a  laxative. 

Next,  as  to  the  class  of  cases  treated  at  Spa  : 
Spa  is  particularly  adapted  to  the  treatment  of  the 
many  disturbances  of  health  in  women  more  or  less 
closely  associated  with  anwmia  and  chlorosis,  e.g. 


336  MINERAL    SPRINGS  [PART  i. 

menstrual  irregularities,  menorrhagia  and  tendency  to 
abortion  ;  vaginal  and  uterine  catarrh  and  sterility 
depending  on  these  conditions  and  on  general  debility ; 
in  some  forms  of  atonic  dyspepsia,  with  a  tendency 
to  diarrhoea,  the  treatment  proves  of  value  ;  also  in 
cases  of  depressed  health  from  prolonged  residence 
in  hot  climates ;  in  neurasthenia,  migraine,  and  neu- 
ralgia, and  other  nervous  affections  connected  with 
anaemia.  The  baths  are  usually  given  hot  in  neuralgic 
and  rheumatic  cases. 

The  mud  baths  are  found  specially  useful  in 
chronic  gouty  and  rheumatic  affections — in  cases  of 
stiff  joints,  in  muscular  atrophy  (combined  with 
massage)  ;  in  tabes  ;  in  the  removal  of  pelvic  exuda- 
tions ;  and  in  some  cases  of  gouty  kidney. 

Spa  is  a  very  suitable  place  for  an  after-cure  for 
patients  returning  to  England  from  a  course  of  treat- 
ment at  many  of  the  German  baths,  such  as  Kissingen, 
Carlsbad,  and  Marienbad. 

The  season  is  from  May  to  October. 

Strathpeffer,  a  Scottish  Highland  cold  sulphur 
bath  in  Ross-shire,  has  come  into  considerable  repute 
in  recent  years.  Though  situated  in  the  north  of 
Scotland,  it  has  a  comparatively  mild  climate  owing 
to  its  position  in  a  very  sheltered  valley.  Evergreens 
grow  there  luxuriously,  and  plants  bloom  out  of  doors 
as  freely  as  in  some  mild  south  of  England  districts. 
Indeed,  in  certain  seasons  the  climate  may  appear 
somewhat  relaxing. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  water  utilised  at  Strath- 
peffer— a  cold  sulphur  water,  the  principal  thera- 
peutic agent  of  the  spa,  and  a  cold  weak 
chalybeate  water. 

The  sulphur  water  is  feebly  mineralised,  but 
contains  potassium  and  sodium  sulphide  amounting 
together  to  -027  per  litre,  and  a  variable  amount  of 
H3S.  It  also  contains  sulphates  and  carbonates  of 
lime  and  magnesia  in  small  amount,  and  a  little 
sulphate  of  sodium.  The  chalybeate  water  ("  Saint's  " 


SECT.  B.]  STRATHPEFFER.  337 

Well)  is  very  feebly  mineralised,  and  contains  about 
0*035  Per  ntre  of  carbonate  of  iron.  The  recently 
utilised  Lady  Cromartie  Well  is  said  to  be  a  stronger 
sulphur  water  than  that  whose  composition  has  just 
been  stated. 

The  bath  establishment  is  not  a  large  one,  but 
baths  and  douches  of  various  kinds  are  prepared  and 
given  there.  For  the  sulphur  baths  the  sulphur  water 
is  usually  warmed  by  the  addition  of  one-third  of  hot 
rain  water. 

Peat  baths  are  prepared  from  peat  brought  from 
adjacent  hills,  and  mixed  with  warm  water  to  the 
temperature  required.  Pine  baths  are  prepared  with 
pine  extract  obtained  from  Germany.  Brine  baths 
can  also  be  obtained.  Friction,  massage,  and  pack- 
ing are  used  in  suitable  cases.  The  most  important 
part  of  the  treatment  is,  however,  the  internal 
use  of  the  waters.  The  usual  time  for  drink- 
ing the  waters  is  about  8  a.m.,  and  again  about 
11.30  a.m. 

The  cases  mainly  treated  at  this  spa  are  those  of 
chronic  gout  and  rheumatism,  and  patients  are  recom- 
mended not  to  rest  content  with  a  single  visit,  but  to 
repeat  it  for  at  least  two  seasons.  Caution  is  needed 
in  dealing  with  cases  of  gout,  as  acute  attacks  are 
occasionally  induced  during,  or  shortly  after,  treat- 
ment there.  Cases  of  sciatica  are  said  to  be  rarely 
benefited  by  treatment  at  Strathpeffer.  Certain  cases 
of  skin  disease  do  well  there,  especially  those  of 
eczema  and  psoriasis,  particularly  if  associated  with  a 
gouty  constitution,  or  dependent  upon  gastro-hepatic 
disorders.  Dyspeptic  symptoms  in  the  same  class  of 
patients  are  also  benefited,  and  for  them  the  mildly 
bracing  climate  is  a  valuable  auxiliary.  The  hotel 
accommodation  is  simple  but  good.  Comfortable 
lodgings  can  also  be  obtained.  The  season  is  from 
May  to  October,  but  the  spa  is  open  all  the  year. 
It  is  about  twenty  miles  from  Inverness  and  five 
from  Dingwall.  The  journey  from  London  takes 
about  fifteen  hours. 


33* 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i, 


Sacedon,  or  La  Isabella,  a 
simple  thermal  spa  in  Spain,  Pro- 
vince of  Guadalajara,  temperature 
84°  F. 

Sail  les  Bains,  Department 
Loire,  France,  has  simple  thermal 
feebly  mineralised  springs,  tem- 
perature 80°  to  95°  F.,  also  a  weak 
chalybeate  and  a  sulphur  spring. 
It  is  situated  at  an  altitude  of 
800  feet,  forty  minutes'  drive  from 
the  railway  station,  St.  Martin 
d'Estreaux,  between  Moulins  and 
Lyons.  The  water  is  exported. 

Sail  sous  Couzan,  a  French 
table-water,  largely  exported  under 
the  name  of  "Couzan"  water. 
The  spring  is  situated  in  the 
Department  of  the  Loire — railway 
station  between  Clermont  and  St. 
Etienne.  It  contains  bicarbonates 
of  sodium,  calcium,  potassium, 
and  magnesium,  and  a  small 
amount  of  iron  and  much  free 
carbonic  acid. 

Saint  Alban,  a  French  table- 
water,  largely  exported  ;  the 
springs  are  situated  in  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  Loire,  about  two 
hours'  (driving)  from  Roanne,  on 
the  line  between  Moulins  and 
Lyons  ;  the  waters  contain  bicar- 
bonates of  sodium,  calcium,  and 
magnesium,  with  much  free  car- 
bonic acid— the  Source  Cesar  con- 
tains 0-023  Per  litre  of  bicarbonate 
of  iron.  In  the  bath  establish- 
ment special  use  is  made  of  the 
carbonic  acid  gas  collected  from 
the  springs  for  inhalations,  baths, 
and  local  douches. 

Saint  Antoine  de  Guagno,  in 
Corsica,  forty  miles  north  of 
Ajaccio,  has  thermal  sulphur  springs, 
temperature  124°  F.  The  Grande 
Source  contains  0-02  per  litre  of 
sodium  sulphide.  It  is  used  in 
the  treatment  of  old  gunshot 
wounds  and  skin  affections. 
There  is  a  military  hospital  there. 
Saint  Boes,  a  strong  cold 
(Pyrenean)  sulphur  spring,  only 
used  for  exportation.  It  contains 


sodium  sulphide  and  H2S,  and  is 
bituminous.  It  is  reported  to  act 
beneficially  in  catarrhal  affections 
of  the  respiratory  and  intestinal 
mucous  membranes,  and  in  pul- 
monary tuberculosis. 

Saint  Galmier,  a  French  table- 
water,  largely  exported.  The 
springs,  of  which  La  Source  Badoit 
is  the  chief,  contains  mixed 
alkaline  and  earthy  bicarbonates, 
two  grammes  per  litre,  and 
small  amounts  of  sulphates  and 
chlorides  and  much  free  carbonic 
acid. 

Saint  Laurent  les  Bains,  in 
France,  Department  Ardeche,  has 
simple  thermal  springs,  of  a  tem- 
perature of  128°  F.  It  is 
picturesquely  situated,  at  an 
altitude  of  2,700  feet,  six  miles 
from  La  Bastide  railway  station. 

Saint  Olafs,  Norway,  close  to 
Modum,  a  popular  resort,  with  a 
chalybeate  spring  and  mud  baths, 
picturesquely  situated,  at  an 
altitude  of  about  500  feet. 

Saint  Pardoux.  See  Bourbon 
1'Archambaut,  p.  107. 

Saint  Vallier,  in  the  Vosges, 
has  earthy  waters,  like  those  of 
Contrexeville. 

Saint  Yorre,  near  Vichy,  has 
strong  cold  alkaline  springs  used 
for  exportation. 

Salies  du  Salut,  France,  Haute 
Garonne,  with  a  railway  station 
on  the  branch  line  between 
Boussens  and  Saint  Girons,  lies 
on  the  Salut  stream,  at  an  altitude 
of  960  feet,  and  has  cold  com- 
mon salt  waters,  containing  30 
grammes  per  litre  of  sodium 
chloride  and  3  of  calcium  sul- 
phate. It  also  has  a  cold  sul- 
phur spring  containing  calcium 
sulphide  o-ii  per  litre.  There  is 
a  children's  sanatorium,  con- 
nected with  the  hospital  at 
Toulouse. 

Salins  Moutiers.  See  Brides 
les  Bains,  p.  116. 

Saltburn    by    the     Sea,    York- 


SECT.  B.]      SALVATOR— SAN  BERNARDINO. 


339 


shire,  has  a  bath  establishment  in 
which  brine  baths  are  given,  the 
brine  being  brought  from  the 
brine  wells  at  Middlesbrough. 
This  brine  has  250  grammes  per 
litre  of  sodium  chloride.  In  the 
same  establishment  there  is  pro- 
vision for  various  kinds  of 
douches,  electric  and  vapour 
baths,  and  sea-water  swimming 
baths. 

Salvator  spring  in  Szinye- 
Lipocz,  near  Epiries,  in  Hungary. 
It  is  exported,  and  belongs  to  the 
simple  alkaline  group.  It  is  cold 
and  gaseous,  and  is  reported  to 
contain  0-3  grammes  of  bicar- 
bonate of  sodium  in  a  litre,  0-9 
carbonate  of  magnesium,  0-9 
borate  of  sodium,  and  0-2  of 
bicarbonate  of  lithium.  It  has 
been  recommended  in  renal  affec- 
tions associated  with  the  uric  acid 
diathesis,  in  gout  and  rheumatism, 
and  in  gastric  and  bronchial 
catarrh. 

Salzbrunn.  See  Obersalzbrunn, 
p.  281. 

Salzburg,  in  Transylvania,  is  a 
popular  brine  bath,  with  brines  of 
various  strengths — from  50  to  150 
grammes  of  common  salt  per 
litre  —  containing  also  sodium 
iodide  o-8  to  0-25  per  litre.  It  is 
situated  at  an  altitude  of  1,600 
feet. 

Salzdetfurth,  in  Hanover,  in 
the  valley  of  the  Lamme,  amongst 
the  foot  hills  of  the  Harz 
mountains,  at  an  elevation  of  500 
feet,  has  common  salt  wells  which 
are  used,  more  or  less  diluted, 
for  baths,  inhalations,  gargling, 
and  drinking,  in  the  various 
maladies  in  which  such  waters 
are  applied.  Season,  May  i  to 
Oct.  i. 

Salzerbad,  Lower  Austria,  has 
waters  containing  common  salt  and 
sulphate  of  sodium  :  14-1  per  litre  of 
the  former  and  4/6  of  the  latter, 
and  2-8  of  calcium  chloride.  It  is 
situated  at  an  altitude  of  2,000  feet. 


Salzhausen,  a  small  bath  in  the 
Grand  Duchy  of  Hesse,  possessing 
cold  salt  wells  and  wells  contain- 
ing iron,  lithium,  and  sulphur,  in 
addition  to  sodium  chloride.  The 
salt  wells  are  weak,  containing 
about  ten  grammes  per  litre  of 
sodium  chloride  and  i-o  of 
magnesium  chloride,  and  some 
free  carbonic  acid.  They  are  con- 
centrated, and  often  fortified  by 
Mutterlauge  for  baths. 

It  is  at  the  foot  of  the  Vogels- 
berg,  at  an  elevation  of  470  feet, 
and  is  close  to  Nidda  railway 
station. 

Salzuflen,  in  the  principality  of 
Lippe-Detmold,  with  a  station  on 
the  Herford-Detmold  line,  has 
three  salt  wells,  used  for  baths  and 
drinking — for  the  latter  purpose 
one  of  the  springs  is  diluted  and 
artificially  aerated  with  carbonic 
acid. 

Salzungen  is  in  the  Duchy  of 
Saxe-Meiningen,  Germany,  finely 
situated  in  the  Werrathal,  at  an 
elevation  of  780  feet,  on  the  south- 
western slope  of  the  Thuringian 
Forest.  It  has  a  station  on  the 
Eisenach-Lichtenfels  line,  and  has 
salt  wells  varying  in  strength  from 
30  to  250  grammes  per  litre. 
The  Mutterlauge  obtained  from 
the  salt  water  is  available  for 
fortifying  the  baths.  It  contains 
much  magnesium,  chloride,  and 
small  amounts  of  magnesium 
bromide  and  iodide.  Inhalations 
of  the  salt-water  spray,  Moor 
baths,  and  douches  are  also  given, 
and  the  water  of  the  weaker 
springs  is  drunk. 

San  Bernardino,  in  Switzerland, 
on  the  southern  side  of  the 
Bernardino  Pass,  between  Spliigen 
and  Bellinzona,  about  equally 
distant  from  Thusis  and  Bellin- 
zona stations,  has  cold  gaseous 
earthy  chalybeate  springs  with 
0-035  Per  ^tre  of  bicarbonate  of 
iron,  o-oi  bicarbonate  of  stron- 
tium, and  i -2  sulphate  of  calcium, 


340 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


Its  altitude  is  5,320  feet.  Cases  of 
anaemia  and  chlorosis,  cases  of 
convalescence,  and  all  such  as 
require  bracing  mountain  air  in 
combination  with  iron  waters, 
are  suitable  for  this  resort. 

Sanct  Lorenz,  in  Upper  Styria, 
with  a  station  on  the  Rudolfsbahn, 
has  two  gaseous  alkaline  common 
salt  springs,  largely  exported.  The 
principal  spring  contains  sodium 
carbonate  i-o  gramme  per  litre, 
sodium  chloride  2'j,  bicarbonate 
of  iron  0-5,  etc.  The  weaker 
spring  contains  only  0-03  of  bicar- 
bonate of  iron,  and  is  known  as 
"  Austrian  Selters"  water. 

Sandefjord,  in  Norway,  situated 
on  a  small  fjord  on  the  North 
Sea,  four  or  five  hours  by  rail 
from  Christiania,  has  cold  gaseous 
common  salt  and  sulphur  springs 
used  for  drinking  and  bathing  ; 
also  a  cold  weak  salt  spring,  and 
a  chalybeate  spring  said  to  contain 
1-29  per  litre  of  sulphate  of  iron. 
Cold  and  hot  sea-water  baths  can 
also  be  had.  A  sort  of  sulphurous 
slime,  collected  from  the  fjord,  is 
used  for  frictions  and  as  hot  ap- 
plications in  chronic  articular 
rheumatism.  There  is  also  a 
practice  there  of  applying  live 
jelly  fishes  as  counter-irritants  to 
the  skin  in  neuralgias  and  chronic 
rheumatism. 

Sandrock,  Isle  of  Wight,  near 
Blackgang  Chine,  has  a  chalybeate 
spring. 

San  Marco,  in  Central  Italy, 
three  miles  from  Castiglione 
della  Pescaja,  has  a  gaseous 
alkaline  water,  largely  exported, 
usually  after  the  addition  of  more 
carbonic  acid  gas.  It  is  reported 
to  contain,  per  litre,  sodium 
bicarbonate  1-3,  magnesium  bicar- 
bonate i  6,and  lithium  bicarbonate 
0-26. 

San  Pedro  do  Sul,  a  Portuguese 
thermal  sulphur  bath  of  high  tem- 
perature, about  159°  F. 

San  Pietro  Montagone,  one  of 


the  "  Euganean  Thermae,"  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Abano,  Italy, 
has  very  hot  waters,  of  the  same 
character  as  those  of  Abano,  and 
feebly  mineralised. 

Santa  Agueda,  in  the  North  of 
Spain,  Province  of  Guipuzcoa, 
has  cold  earthy  sulphuretted  hydrogen 
waters,  and  an  iron  spring. 

Santa  Catarina,  Italy,  about 
seven  miles  fron  Bornio,  through 
the  picturesque  Val  Furva,  pos- 
sesses a  strong  chalybeate  spring.  It 
is  5,700  feet  above  the  sea,  in  an 
exceedingly  beautiful  situation, 
surrounded  by  a  semi-circle  of 
magnificent  snow  mountains. 
Being  on  the  southern  side  of  the 
Alps,  its  climate  is  doubtless  less 
bracing  than  the  same  elevation 
on  the  northern  side  (like  St. 
Moritz)  would  be. 

Santenay,  France,  the  Cote 
d'Or.  A  cold  sodium  chloride  water, 
containing  also  lithium  chloride 
and  sulphates  of  sodium  magne- 
sium and  calcium.  Its  total  min- 
eralisation amounts  to  9  •  2  gram  mes 
per  litre,  of  which  5-2  is  sodium 
chloride.  The  lithium  salt 
amounts  to  0-092  and  the  sodium 
sulphate  to  2-15.  It  is  chiefly  a 
drinking  cure,  but  baths,  douches, 
and  massage  are  also  employed. 
It  is  recommended  in  cases  of 
gout  and  gravel,  and  biliary 
and  renal  calculi ;  also  in  func- 
tional hepatic  and  gastro-intesti- 
nal  affections  attended  with  con- 
stipation. It  is  reached  by  a 
branch  line  from  Chaguy,  be- 
tween Dijon  and  Macon.  An  au- 
tomobile conveys  patients  from 
the  station  to  the  baths.  It  is  dis- 
tant about  seven  hours  from  Paris. 

Saxon,  a  Swiss  bath  in  the 
Rhone  valley,  with  a  station  on 
the  line  between  Lausanne  and 
Brigue,  at  an  elevation  of  1,560 
feet.  Its  earthy  waters  are  cold 
and  very  feebly  mineralised — less 
than  one  gramme  of  solids  to  the 
litre.  They  are  reputed  to  con- 


SECT.    B.] 


SCHANDA  U—SHANKLIN. 


tain  small  amounts  of  calcium  and 
magnesium  bromides  and  iodides, 
but  they  are  found  to  be  absent, 
intermittently,  for  short  periods — 
the  intermittances  not  exceeding 
two  or  three  days.  Whatever 
popularity  these  waters  may  have 
had  at  one  time  has  almost  wholly 
passed  away.  The  place  is  very 
hot  in  summer,  and  mosquitoes 
are  very  active.  The  water  is 
exported. 

Schandau,  on  the  Elbe,  in 
Saxon  Switzerland,  at  an  alti- 
tude of  400  feet,  has  a  weak 
chalybeate  spring  containing,  per 
litre,  0-015  bicarbonate  of  iron  an^ 
some  bicarbonate  of  lime,  used 
only  for  drinking.  Various 
accessory  remedies  are  applied, 
as  Franzensbad  Moor  baths,  arti- 
ficial brine  and  carbonic  acid 
baths,  pine  -  needle,  electric, 
vapour,  and  hot-air  baths. 
Hydrotherapy,  fango,  massage, 
and  gymnastics.  The  place  is 
frequented  by  tourists,  and  has  a 
station  on  the  Dresden-Bodenbach 
line.  The  season  is  from  May  i 
to  Oct.  i. 

Schimberg,  a  Swiss  cold 
alkaline  and  sulphurous  bath  of 
the  same  character  as  Heustrich, 
but  with  rather  less  sulphur.  It 
is  situated  on  the  western  slope 
of  the  mountain  of  the  same  name, 
at  an  elevation  of  4,670  feet,  and 
about  two  and  a-half  hours'  drive 
from  the  station  of  Entlebuch,  on 
the  Berne-Lucerne  line.  It  has  a 
relatively  humid  climate  for  a 
place  of  that  altitude.  Somewhat 
sudden  changes  of  temperature 
and  a  certain  amount  of  fog  must 
also  be  looked  for.  It  is  protected 
from  the  north-east  winds.  It 
would  not  seem  to  be  quite 
a  typical  resort  for  chronic 
catarrhal  affections  of  the  respira- 
tory organs,  for  the  treatment  of 
which  its  waters  are  regarded  as 
specially  suitable.  The  sulphur 
spring  is  feebly  mineralised, 


containing  sodium  bicarbonate 
chiefly  -  this  salt  forms  0-683  out 
of  a  total  of  0-773  of  solids  per 
litre— it  also  contains  sodium 
sulphide  0-03,  and  H..S  6-7  c.c. 
For  the  baths  a  spring  termed 
"ferruginous"  is  utilised.  It  con- 
tains the  same  ingredients  as  the 
sulphur  spring  without  the  sul- 
phur. Season,  June  10  to  Sep- 
tember 20. 

Schmalkalden,  a  small  bath 
with  a  weak  common  salt  spring,  in 
Hesse-Nassau. 

Schmiedeberg,  a  small  town 
with  iron-mud  baths,  in  Saxony, 
with  a  station  on  the  Wittenberg- 
Eilenberg  line. 

Schwalheim,  dietetic  table- 
waters.  See  Nauheim,  p.  269. 

Schwarzbach,  a  weak  earthy 
chalybeate  spring  in  Prussian 
Silesia. 

Schwefelberg,  Switzerland,  two 
and  a-half  hours  from  Gurnigel, 
at  an  altitude  of  4,570  feet,  has 
the  same  kind  of  cold  sulphurous 
waters  as  Gurnigel. 

Schweizerhalle,  a  Swiss  brine 
bath  in  Canton  Bale,  near 
Pratteln  railway  station. 

Sciacca,  in  Sicily,  twenty-two 
miles  from  the  railway  station 
Castelvetiano,  has  hot  common  salt 
and  sulphur  springs,  temperature 
125°  F.,  also  hot  springs  (100°  F.) 
containing  iron.  Here  were  the 
ancient  "Thermae  Selinuntinae." 
Near  at  hand  are  the  natural 
vapour  baths  (stufe)  of  San 
Calogero. 

Segeberg,  a  salt  bath  in  Schles- 
wig-Holstein. 

Sellers— Niederselters, — Natural 
seltzer  water,  an  alkaline  table- 
water  containing  2-0  grammes  per 
litre  of  common  salt. 

Serneus,  a  Swiss  cold  sulphur 
spring,  containing  H2S.  The  bath 
establishment  is  at  an  elevation  of 
3,240  feet,  in  the  Praetigau  valley 
on  the  Landquart-Davos  line. 

Shanklin,  Isle  of  Wight,  has  a 


342 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i 


chalybeate  spring  with  cro68  per 
litre  of  carbonate  of  iron. 

Shap  Wells,  three  miles  from 
Shap,  in  the  centre  of  Westmor- 
land, and  some  distance  from  a 
railway  station — waters  containing 
alkaline  and  earthy  chlorides  and 
sulphates,  and  a  little  iron  and 
silica,  with  similar  properties  to 
those  of  Leamington. 

Siradan,  Sainte  Marie  (Hautes 
Pyrenees),  in  a  pleasant  valley 
with  a  lake,  a  short  distance  from 
Salechan,  on  the  line  of  railway 
from  Toulouse  to  Luchon,  is  about 
twelve  miles  from  the  latter  place. 
It  has  four  springs,  two  of  which 
are  ferruginous  and  cold,  and  two 
warm  ;  the  latter  resemble  greatly 
in  composition,  character,  and 
uses  those  of  Contrexeville,  but 
they  are  more  feebly  mineralised. 
They  belong  to  the  class  of  earthy 
or  calcareous  waters.  They  enjoy 
considerable  local  popularity.  The 
iron  springs  are  used  for  cases 
of  anaemia,  chlorosis,  and  general 
debility.  Siradan  is  well  sheltered 
by  mountains,  at  an  elevation  of 
1,350  feet.  It  has  a  soft  and  tem- 
perate climate,  and  its  season  is 
unusually  long — from  April  i  to 
Nov.  30. 

Soden  -  Salzmunster,  gaseous 
common  salt  wells,  and  Sool  baths, 
in  Hesse-Nassau,  with  a  station 
on  the  Bebra-Frankfurt-am-M. 
Railway. 

Sodenthal,  in  northern  Bavaria, 
near  Aschaffenburg — a  small  bath 
with  cold  common  salt  wells,  which 
contain  a  little  magnesium  bro- 
mide and  iodide. 

Soden  a  Werra,  a  cold  salt  well 
in  Hesse-Nassau. 

Soils,  near  Tiefenkasten , 
Grisons,  Switzerland,  a  cold 
alkaline  gaseous  spring,  contain- 
ing chiefly  sodium  sulphate, 
chloride,  and  bicarbonate,  with  a 
small  amount  of  bromide  and 
iodide,  and  a  little  iron. 

Soulzmatt,  in   a   valley  of  the 


j  Vosges,  Alsace,  between  Bale  and 
Strasburg — a  cold  alkaline  gaseous 
table-water,  largely  exported,  as 
well  as  used  for  bathing  and 
drinking  at  the  source — chiefly  in 
dyspeptic  states. 

Srebernik,  in  the  east  ot 
Bosnia,  has  a  cold  spring  contain- 
ing arsenic — 0-006  per  litre  of 
arsenious  acid  ;  it  is  also  reported 
to  contain  sulphuric  acid  and 

|   sulphates  of  iron,   zinc,  and  alu- 

j    minium.      Dose   at   starting,  one 

I   ounce. 

Stachelberg,  Canton  Glarus, 
Switzerland,  in  the  Todi  district, 
in  a  beautiful  situation,  at  an 
altitude  of  over  2,000  feet,  has  a 
cold  sulphur  sparing  of  feeble 
mineralisation  containing  a  small 
amount  of  H2S  and  sodium  sul- 
phide. It  is  used  at  the  bath 


establishment  in  the  same  cases  as 
are  amenable  to  sulphur  treat- 
ment elsewhere,  with  the  addi- 
tional advantage  here  of  a  fresh, 
subalpine  climate.  It  is  near 
the  railway  station  of  Linththal. 

Stafford  has  brine  baths 
similar  to  those  of  Droitwich. 

Steben,  an  old-established  cold 
gaseous  chalybeate  spa  and  ferrugi- 
nous Moor  bath  in  Upper  Fran- 
conia,  Bavaria,  at  an  altitude  of 
nearly  2,000  feet,  the  terminus 
of  the  Hof-Steben  line.  The  iron 
springs,  containing  50-05  ando-o6 
per  litre  of  bicarbonate  of  iron 
and  much  carbonic  acid,  are 
drunk,  used  as  baths,  and  ex- 
ported. Mud  baths,  artificial 
salt  baths,  and  pine-needle  baths 
are  also  prepared. 

The  cases  treated  are  chiefly 
those  of  anaemia,  chlorosis, 
neurasthenia,  and  female  diseases. 

Stoney  Middleton,  Derbyshire, 
has  waters  similar  to  the  Bake- 
well  waters. 

Suderode,  a  brine  bath  in  Prus- 
sian Saxony. 

Suiza,  Grand  Duchy  of  Saxe- 
Weimar  (Thuringia)  between 


SECT.    B.] 


TARASP-SCHULS. 


343 


Weimar  and  Naumburg,  on  the 
Ilm,  at  an  elevation  of  480  feet, 
has  common  salt  springs  contain- 
ing, besides  sodium  chloride  and 
sulphate,  small  quantities  of 
magnesium  chloride  and  sodium 
bromide  and  iodide.  Its  reputa- 
tion is  almost  exclusively  local. 

Sulzbach,  in  the  Baden  Black 
Forest,  with  railway  station  at 
Hubacker,  on  the  Appenweier-Hu- 
backer  line,  has  simple  thermal  or 
tepid  waters  of  a  temperature  of 
only  70°  F.  They  are  given  in 
gout,  rheumatism,  and  nervous 
affections. 

Sulzbrunn,  near  Kempten,  in 
Upper  Bavaria,  a  small  bath,  at 
an  elevation  of  2,800  feet,  has  weak 
salt  springs,  containing  a  little 
magnesium  iodide. 

Swanlinbar,  a  small  village  in 
county  Cavan,  Ireland,  possesses 
cold  sulphur  springs,  popular  in 
former  times. 

Sylvanes,  Department  of  Avey- 
ron,  France,  has  thermal  waters 
which  have  been  classed  amongst 
the  simple  thermal  and  also  amongst 
arsenical  waters.  Its  railway 
station  is  Ceilhes-Roqueredonde, 
on  the  line  between  Arvant  and 
Beziers,  It  is  situated  in  a 
mountainous  country,  at  an 
elevation  of  1,300  feet.  The 
springs  vary  in  temperature  from 
88°  to  97°  F.  It  is  one  of  the 
rare  instances  of  a  hot  iron  water. 
The  water  contains  i-o  gramme  of 
solids  per  litre,  of  which  0-02  is 
carbonate  of  iron,  and  o-oi6  of 


arsenates  of  iron  and  magnesium  ; 
it  also  contains  manganese 
carbonate,  calcium  carbonate, 
and  sodium  chloride. 

The  simple  gaseous  alkaline  water 
;  of  Andabre  (i -8  gramme  of  sodium 
bicarbonate  to  the  litre),  only 
two  to  three  miles  off,  is  some- 
times drunk  at  Sylvanes,  whose 
waters  are  chiefly  used  for  baths. 
The  cases  treated  there  are  those 
of  anaemia,  neurasthenia,  general 
debility,  affections  of  the  respira- 
tory organs,  chronic  metritis. 

Szczawnica,  on  the  northern 
slope  of  the  Carpathians,  in 
Galicia,  at  an  elevation  of  1,700 
feet,  has  cold  gaseous  alkaline 
common  salt  springs.  One  of  the 
springs  contains  as  much  as  8-4 
grammes  of  sodium  bicarbonate 
and  4-6  of  sodium  chloride. 
These  waters  are  valuable  in  the 
treatment  of  chronic  catarrhal 
affections  of  the  respiratory  pas- 
sages, the  spray  being  inhaled,  in 
addition  to  drinking  the  waters. 
It  is  often  combined  with  the 
whey  or  koumiss  cures.  The 
nearest  railway  station,  Alt- 
Sandeck,  is  six  hours  distant. 

Szkleno,  in  Hungary,  has 
thermal  calcareous  waters  varying 
in  temperature  from  100°  to  128° 
F.,  containing  2  grammes  per 
litre  of  calcium  sulphate.  The 
situation  is  picturesque,  at  an 
elevation  of  1,130  feet.  The 
nearest  railway  station  is  Guram- 
Berzenscze,  a  drive  of  two  and  a- 
half  hours. 


Tarasp-Schuls,  in  the  Lower  Engadine,  Switzer- 
land, has  alkaline  aperient  saline  springs  of  much 
the  same  character  as  those  of  Marienbad,  being, 
however,  more  alkaline  and  less  aperient.  If  Tarasp 
be  approached  from  St.  Moritz  or  Samaden,  in  the 
Upper  Engadine,  it  is  about  a  five  hours'  drive 
from  the  latter  place,  descending  the  valley  of  the 


344  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

Inn  through,  for  the  most  part,  interesting  scenery. 
It  has  been  more  usual  to  travel  by  rail  to  Davos 
and  then  drive  over  the  Fluela  Pass  (about  six  hours) 
to  Tarasp  or  Schuls,  but  with  the  completion  of  the 
railway  from  Thusis  to  St.  Moritz,  the  route  via 
Samaden  in  the  Upper  Engadine  is  more  likely  to  be 
adopted.  The  Kurhaus  of  Tarasp  is  built  close  to 
the  principal  springs,  and  the  baths  are  within  the 
building  itself.  It  is  situated  at  an  elevation  of 
3,890  feet  on  the  northern  bank  of  the  Inn,  which 
flows  close  by  it. 

A  fine  Trinkhalle  with  a  covered  promenade 
and  a  row  of  shops  is  built  on  the  right  bank  of 
the  river  close  to  the  principal  spring. 

The  springs  which  give  Tarasp  its  chief  reputation 
are  its  alkaline-saline  sources,  which  rise  close  to  the 
river,  and  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  Kurhaus. 
They  are  the  St.  Lucius  and  St.  Emerita  springs, 
which  are  used  for  drinking,  and  the  Ursus  and 
New  Bath  springs,  which  are  weaker,  and  are 
only  used  for  baths.  The  St.  Lucius  is  the  most 
richly  mineralised,  and,  according  to  the  latest 
analysis  (1900),  contains,  per  litre,  sodium  sulphate 
2-245  grammes,  potassium  sulphate  0-334,  sodium 
carbonate  3*045,  sodium  chloride  3*890,  calcium 
carbonate  1*567,  and  small  amounts  of  other  con- 
stituents, such  as  carbonate  of  iron  (0*012),  of  mag- 
nesium (0*659),  sodium  borate  (0*884),  sodium 
bromide  (0*037),  and  lithium  chloride  (0*055). 

The  St.  Emerita  contains  precisely  the  same 
constituents,  but  while  the  total  solids  in  the  St. 
Lucius  amount  to  12*834  Per  litre,  in  the  St. 
Emerita  they  are  only  11*339.  The  former  is  also 
richer  in  free  carbonic  acid.  As  compared  with  the 
strongest  of  the  Marienbad  springs  they  contain 
less  than  one-half  the  amount  of  sodium  sulphate, 
but  much  more  sodium  bicarbonate  and  sodium 
chloride.  Compared  with  the  Carlsbad  springs  they 
contain  rather  less  sodium  sulphate  and  much  more 
sodium  bicarbonate  and  chloride,  and  being  cold 


SECT.  B.]  TARASP-SCHULS.  345 

they  contain  more  free  carbonic  acid  gas.  When 
warmed  the  Tarasp  springs  have  much  the  same 
characters  as  the  Carlsbad  springs,  only  they  are 
richer  in  the  alkaline  sodium  bicarbonate  and  in 
sodium  chloride.  They  are  nearly  as  rich  in  sodium 
bicarbonate  as  the  Vichy  springs. 

Owing  to  the  carrrying  out  of  a  "  new  encase- 
ment" of  these  springs  in  1899  the  amount  of  free 
carbonic  acid  gas  is  said  to  have  increased  by  more 
than  one-third. 

Tarasp  possesses  also  weak  gaseous  chalybeate 
springs ;  the  one  chiefly  drunk  is  the  St.  Bonifacius 
spring,  situated  a  little  distance  from  the  Kur- 
haus  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Inn.  This  spring 
has  recently  received  a  "  new  encasement,"  and  the 
most  recent  analysis  (1900)*  shows  that  it  now 
contains  less  iron  than  it  used  to,  and  that  its 
characters  rather  tend  to  group  it  with  such  alkaline 
earthy  springs  as  Wildungen  and  Antogast ;  but 
it  is  much  richer  than  either  in  lime  salts  and  in  free 
carbonic  acid.  It  is  now  used  more  for  its  beneficial 
action  on  the  digestive  and  urinary  organs.  The 
Wyquelle,  situated  above  the  neighbouring  village 
of  Schuls,  is  another  mild  chalybeate  spring,  and 
there  is  a  still  weaker  gaseous  iron  spring  at  Schuls, 
the  Sotsass,  which  is  often  drunk  as  a  table-water. 

The  mineral  springs  of  the  neighbouring  Val 
Sinistra  are  also  brought  to  and  utilised  at  Tarasp. 
These  are  gaseous  alkaline  saline  springs,  which 
also  contain  iron  and  arsenic,  and  it  is  the  possession 
of  the  latter  constituent  which  confers  upon  them 
their  chief  importance.  In  a  litre  of  the  strongest 
spring — the  Ulrichsquelle — there  is  0*007  °f  sodium 
arsenate.  It  also  contains  0*020  of  carbonate  of 
iron,  and  0*023  of  chloride  of  lithium.  In  Tarasp 
a  combination  of  the  Val  Sinistra  waters  with  the 
Lucius  spring  is  often  prescribed. 

At  the    Kurhaus  gaseous   alkaline    saline   baths 

*  By  Professor  Treadwell,  of  Zurich. 


346  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

are  prepared  with  the  waters  of  the  Ursus  and  the 
New  Bath  springs,  and  the  overflow  of  the  Lucius 
and  Emerita  springs,  and  chalybeate  baths  with  the 
water  of  the  Carola  spring. 

Other  curative  agencies  applied  at  Tarasp  are  the 
Battaglia/<2;^6>  (mud)  baths,  the  baths  prepared  with 
Rheinfelden  brine  added  to  the  ordinary  warm 
gaseous  effervescent  baths,  massage  and  medical 
gymnastics,  and  the  Terrain- Kur. 

The  waters  are  usually  drunk  early  in  the  morn- 
ing, beginning  with  two  or  three  glasses  (six  ounces 
each),  and  increasing  gradually  to  five  or  six,  according 
to  the  case,  at  intervals  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
gentle  walking  exercise  being  taken  all  the  time. 
Persons  who  cannot  take  the  water  cold  before 
breakfast  can  have  it  warmed,  or  may  take  a  light 
breakfast  two  or  three  hours  before  drinking. 

Many  of  the  visitors  to  Tarasp  prefer  to  reside 
in  a  higher  and  more  open  situation  than  that 
of  the  Kurhaus,  and  this  can  be  done  either  at 
the  village  of  Schuls,  in  an  open  situation  on  the 
north  side  of  the  valley,  about  twenty  minutes  dis- 
tant from  Tarasp  Kurhaus,  or,  better  still,  at  Vulpera, 
a  village  above  Tarasp,  on  the  south  side  of  the 
valley,  at  an  elevation  of  about  4,200  feet.  At 
Vulpera  two  large  new  hotels  have  been  opened, 
the  Hotel  Waldhaus  in  1897,  and  the  Hotel 
Suisse  in  1900.  These  are  both  finely  situated,  and 
patients  by  living  at  Vulpera  can  combine  the 
advantages  of  an  Alpine  climate  with  treatment  by 
mineral  waters. 

The  therapeutic  affinities  of  Tarasp  are  with 
such  mineral  waters  as  those  of  Marienbad,  Carlsbad, 
and  Vichy ;  and  in  certain  cases  the  course  at 
Tarasp  may  be  presented  as  an  alternative  to  either 
of  these.  When  warmed  the  waters  of  Tarasp  may 
answer  the  same  purpose  as  the  Carlsbad  waters, 
and  would  be  especially  suitable  to  those  who  find 
Carlsbad  too  hot  and  relaxing.  For  those  who 
require  a  rather  milder  course  than  that  of  Marien- 


SECT.  B.]  TARASP-SCHULS.  347 

bad,  less  purgative  and  more  alkaline,  Tarasp  is 
available,  and  for  patients  who,  besides  the  alkaline 
property  of  the  Vichy  springs,  need  an  aperient,  the 
combination  is  found  at  Tarasp,  while  the  climate 
is  bracing,  and  not  hot  and  relaxing,  as  Vichy 
is  apt  to  be  in  the  summer  months.  In  suitable 
cases  at  Tarasp  the  use  of  the  chalybeate  springs 
can  be  associated  with  the  alkaline-saline  waters. 

The  diseases  chiefly  suitable  for  treatment  at 
Tarasp  may  be  thus  enumerated  :  chronic  gastro- 
intestinal catarrh,  constipation,  haemorrhoids,  chronic 
diarrhoea,  dyspepsia  in  the  anaemic,  congestion  and 
hypertrophy  of  the  liver,  commencing  cirrhosis, 
catarrhal  and  obstinate  jaundice  and  gallstones, 
obesity  and  related  conditions,  diabetes,  the  same 
class  of  cases  as  are  benefited  at  Carlsbad  and 
Vichy,  gouty  and  uric  acid  states,  renal  catarrh 
and  gravel  (the  earthy  alkaline  Bonifacius  spring 
is  especially  adapted  to  the  treatment  of  these 
states),  chlorosis  and  anaemia  in  certain  persons, 
and  especially  when  the  consequence  of  malarial 
infection  and  associated  with  splenic  enlargement 
(the  combination  of  iron  and  arsenic  in  the  Val 
Sinestra  waters  proves  valuable  in  some  of  those 
cases)  ;  catarrhal  affections  of  the  respiratory  organs 
in  obese  persons  are  also  said  to  be  benefited.  The 
season  is  from  June  ist  to  October. 

Teplitz,  or  Teplitz-Schonau,  as  it  is  now  called, 
since  it  has  been  united  with  the  neighbouring 
village  Schonau,  is  the  oldest  spa  in  Bohemia.  It 
is  usually  approached  from  Dresden  via  Bodenbach 
and  Aussig,  in  about  four  hours  and  a-quarter.  It 
is  celebrated  for  its  hot  springs,  of  which  it  possesses 
many. 

It  is  situated  in  a  somewhat  open  valley,  750 
feet  above  the  sea,  between  the  Erzgebirge,  which 
shelter  it  on  the  north,  and  the  Mittelgebirge  on 
the  south,  with  a  somewhat  variable  climate. 

There  is  a  hill,  the   Mont   de   Ligue,  between 


348  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

Schonau  and  Teplitz,  commanding  a  fine  view ; 
and  to  the  east  of  Schonau  there  is  another  admir- 
able point  of  view,  the  Schlossberg,  1,280  feet  above 
the  sea,  easily  ascended  in  half  an  hour.  Teplitz 
is  surrounded  by  pleasing  country,  into  which  many 
attractive  excursions  of  various  lengths  may  be 
made. 

There  are  excellent  hotels  and  lodging-houses 
there,  some  of  the  best  being  on  the  road  which 
connects  Teplitz  with  Schonau. 

The  thermal  waters  are  supplied  to  quite  a 
large  number  of  bath-houses,  the  most  luxurious 
of  which  is  the  Kaiserbad,  which  belongs  to  the 
town,  and  in  nearly  all  of  these  bath-houses  patients 
can  obtain  apartments.  The  water  is  pumped  up 
from  the  springs. 

The  springs,  on  account  of  their  feeble  mineralisa- 
tion, are  usually  classed  amongst  the  simple  thermal 
waters,  but  it  is  also  claimed  for  them  that  they 
are  alkaline  waters ;  and  so  indeed  they  are,  as 
out  of  a  total  amount  of  0*7  of -solids  per  litre  (the 
Stadtquelle),  0*4  consists  of  sodium  carbonate.  There 
are  also  small  amounts  of  sodium  sulphate 
and  chloride,  and  calcium  carbonate,  and  very 
minute  quantities  of  lithium  and  strontium  car- 
bonates. It  is  therefore  a  weak  alkaline  thermal 
water  of  a  temperature  of  115°  F. 

There  are  public  baths  for  the  gratuitous  use  or 
the  poor,  and  there  are  also  military  hospitals  for 
invalid  soldiers.  Besides  the  mineral-water  baths, 
Teplitz  has  also  Moor  or  peat  baths.  The  peat  is 
found  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  is  said  to  be  less 
stimulating  than  the  Franzensbad  peat,  as  it  contains 
less  iron.  The  Teplitz  peat  bath  is  given  at  a  tempera- 
ture of  99-5°  F.,  and  is  said  to  have  a  very  soothing 
effect. 

Teplitz  is  the  warmest  of  the  "  indifferent "  thermal 
baths,  and  in  some  cases  the  baths  are  given  at  a 
high  temperature,  but  this  is  less  the  custom  than  it 
was  formerly.  They  are  also  in  some  cases  given 


SECT.  B.J  TEPLITZ.  349 

tepid.  Although  bathing  is  the  chief  part  of  the  treat- 
ment at  Teplitz,  it  has  become  the  practice  recently 
to  prescribe  the  water  to  be  drunk  also  in  certain 
cases.  In  the  Kurgarten,  mineral  waters  from  all  the 
chief  European  spas  are  kept,  and  are  supplied  to  the 
patients  according  to  the  remedy  required. 

The  more  active  thermal  treatment  is  intended  to 
promote  the  absorption  of  morbid  exudations  in 
persons  suffering  from  chronic  gout,  rheumatism,  and 
certain  forms  of  paralysis. 

The  tepid  baths  are  better  suited  to  sensitive  and 
delicate  persons  suffering  from  functional  nervous 
affections,  upon  whom  they  often  produce  a  soothing 
and  alleviating  effect. 

The  cure  at  Teplitz  is  recommended  in  the  fol- 
lowing cases :  chronic  gout  and  rheumatism,  and 
related  affections,  as  sciatica,  lumbago,  and  other 
neuralgias  and  myalgias ;  certain  nervous  diseases, 
especially  those  related  to  gouty  or  rheumatic  or 
traumatic  conditions  or  overstrain,  and  those  asso- 
ciated with  metallic  poisoning  ;  also  hysterical  forms  ; 
in  some  chronic  skin  diseases,  especially  eczema, 
psoriasis,  prurigo,  and  pruritus,  and  some  forms  of 
secondary  syphilis.  The  mild  alkaline  water  of  the 
baths  has  an  excellent  effect  in  some  of  these  cases. 
The  season  is  from  May  to  the  end  of  September, 
but  treatment  can  be  obtained  there  at  any  part  of 
the  year. 

Tunbridge  Wells,  in  a  fine  situation,  at  an  altitude 
of  420  feet,  on  the  borders  of  Kent  and  Sussex,  and 
surrounded  by  most  attractive  and  picturesque  country, 
is  resorted  to  largely,  and  is  a  popular  health  resort, 
not,  as  formerly,  on  account  of  its  chalybeate  spring, 
but  for  its  pleasant  situation  and  its  tonic  and  mildly 
bracing  air.  It  has  also  the  great  advantage  of  being 
within  a  very  short  railway  journey  of  London,  about 
an  hour. 

At  one  time  "  the  Wells  "  were  much  frequented  by 
fashionable  visitors,  who  came  to  "  take  the  waters  "  ; 


350 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


but  that  was  in  the  seventeenth  and  eighteenth 
centuries. 

The  mineral  spring  is  situated  at  one  end  of 
the  Pantiles,  an  old-fashioned  paved  promenade, 
having  on  one  side  a  covered  way  for  protection  in 
bad  weather,  and  a  row  of  shops.  The  water  is 
dispensed  from  basins  at  the  springs  by  persons 
who  are  known  as  "dippers,"  and  at  the  other 
end  of  the  Pantiles  it  is  also  procurable  in  a  reading- 
room  provided  for  visitors. 

The  water  is  only  used  for  drinking  purposes  ;  its 
defect  as  a  chalybeate  spring  is  the  absence  of  any 
amount  of  free  carbonic  acid,  the  presence  of  which, 
in  large  quantity,  gives  to  the  best  known  Continental 
iron  springs  their  chief  value.  We  doubt  also  whether 
the  amount  of  water  obtainable  from  the  springs 
would  be  large  enough  for  the  constant  supply  of  a 
large  bath  establishment. 

An  analysis  made  by  Stevenson  in  1892  gives  the 
amount  of  carbonate  of  iron  per  litre  as  0*06.  This  is 
a  fair  amount  of  iron  for  a  chalybeate  spring.  The 
other  constituents  are  of  little  or  no  importance. 
There  is  a  little  sulphate  of  lime  and  chloride  of 
sodium,  and  minute  amounts  of  other  sulphates  and 
chlorides. 

These  waters  are  prescribed  for  patients  suffering 
from  anaemia  and  debility,  but  the  local  practitioners 
consider  it  needful  in  severe  cases  to  give  ordinary 
preparations  of  iron  in  addition  to  the  waters.  Only 
small  quantities  of  the  water  are  usually  prescribed — 
two  half-glasses — with  a  short  walk  between — about 
eleven  or  twelve  in  the  morning.  There  is  no 
particular  season. 


Tabiano,  Italy,  three  miles 
from  Salso  Maggiore  and  four 
from  Borgo  San  Donnino  railway 
station,  in  the  Province  of  Parma, 
has  cold  sulphur  waters. 

Teinach,  a  small  bath  and 
summer  resort,  situated  in  a  pro- 


tected valley  in  the  Wurtemberg 
Black  Forest,  at  an  elevation  of 
1,300  feet,  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  pine  woods,  about  one  and  a- 
half  miles  from  its  railway  station 
on  the  Stuttgart  -  Calw  -  Horb 
lines,  has  cold,  feebly  mineralised 


SECT.    B.] 


TENNSTEDT—TOLZ. 


gaseous  springs,  some  containing 
a  small  amount  of  iron,  and 
therefore  termed  chalybeate  ;  others 
weakly  alkaline  (small  amounts  of 
sodium  and  calcium  carbonate) 
are  used  and  exported  as  table- 
waters.  There  is  a  hydro-thera- 
peutic establishment  there,  and 
the  natural  springs  are  used  for 
drinking,  gargling,  and  inhala- 
tions, also  for  baths  and  douches. 
Moor-bath-extract,  pine  -  needle, 
and  electric  baths  are  prepared. 
The  maladies  treated  there  are 
anaemia,  dyspepsia,  catarrh  of  the 
mucous  membranes,  neurasthenia, 
gout,  female  disorders.  The 
season  is  from  May  15  to 
Oct.  15. 

Tennstedt,  a  very  small  cold 
snlphhr  bath  in  Saxony,  on  the 
Schambach  (main  line  Gotha- 
Leinefelde) . 

Termini-Imersee,  on  the  north 
coast  of  Sicily,  has  hot  springs 
(108°  F.j,  said  to  contain  common 
salt  and  aperient  sulphates.  It  is 
a  small  bath,  and  little  accurate 
information  about  its  springs  is 
obtainable ;  it  was  the  Roman 
"  Thermae  Himerenses." 

Thale,  a  common  salt  (Sool)  bath 
in  Saxony,  at  the  entrance  of  the 
Bodethal,  in  a  beautiful  situation, 
at  an  elevation  of  740  feet,  in  the 
Lower  Harz  Mountains.  Ter- 
minus of  the  branch  line 
Halberstadt-Thale.  The  saline 
spring,  the  Hubertusquelle, 
arises  in  an  island  on  the  Bode, 
where  the  hotel  and  bath 
establishment  are  also  found.  It 
is  also  a  summer  climatic  resort. 

Thonon,  a  steamboat  station 
on  the  southern  shore  of  the  Lake 
of  Geneva,  in  Haute  Savoie,  has 
cold  feebly  mineralised  waters,  like 
those  of  Evian,  and  used  in  the 
same  cases.  The  water  is  said  to 
contain  some  organic-resinous 
substances. 

Tiefenkasten,  Grisons,  Switzer- 
land, has  snip  hated  alkaline 


chalybeate  springs — "St.  Peter's 
Well. ' '  The  chief  constituents  are 
sodium  sulphate  and  chloride, 
magnesium  sulphate,  and  calcium 
carbonate,  and  about  0-03  of 
bicarbonate  of  iron.  Used  chiefly 
in  gastro  -  hepatic  disorders 
associated  with  anaemia. 

Tobelbad — a  simple  thermal  bath 
in  Styria,  at  an  altitude  of  about 
1,000  feet.  Temperature  of 
springs  77°  to  84°  F. 

Tolz,  or  Krankenheil-Tolz,  in 
Upper  Bavaria,  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  Isar,  at  an  elevation  of 
about  2,100  feet,  finely  situated 
on  the  northern  slope  of  the 
Blomberg,  has  cold  weakly  mineral- 
ised springs  of  indeterminate 
classification.  It  has  a  station  on 
the  Munich-Holz-Kirchen-Tolz 
line.  It  has  six  springs,  which 
have  been  termed  "iodine, 
alkaline,  common  salt  wells," 
containing  per  litre  0-19  to  0-33  of 
sodium  bicarbonate,  0-03  to  0-29 
of  sodium  chloride,  and  about 
o-ooi  of  sodium  iodide  and  a 
little  sulphuretted  hydrogen  gas. 
The  springs  are  so  far  from  Tolz 
that  the  waters  are  brought  in 
bottles  for  drinking,  and  through 
galvanised  iron  pipes  for  the 
baths.  A  great  deal  of  commer- 
cial enterprise  is  associated  with 
these  weak  springs,  and  "  Kran- 
kenheil  Soaps,"  "  Spiritus  Sapon- 
aris , "  "  Krankenheil  Pastilles , ' ' 
as  well  as  the  waters,  are  pre- 
pared and  exported.  Various 
auxiliary  remedies  are  also  em- 
ployed, as  brine  and  mud  baths, 
pine,  vapour,  chalybeate,  sulphur 
and  other  baths,  milk  and  whey 
cures,  and  ' '  extracts  of  mountain 
herbs. ' '  The  fresh  mountain  air  is 
probably  as  efficacious  as  any  of 
these. 

The  diseases  especially  treated 
are  scrofulous  affections,  skin  dis- 
orders, chronic  metritis,  catarrh 
of  the  respiratory  organs. 

Tormisstein,      or      the      Heil- 


352 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


brunnen,  near  Brohl,  on  the 
Rhine,  in  Rhenish  Prussia — a 
highly  gaseous  alkaline  spring — 
sodium  bicarbonate  2-5  per  litre, 
magnesium  bicarbonate  i'6, 
and  common  salt  i-4.  Used  and 
largely  exported  as  a  dietetic 
table-water. 

Topusco,  simple  thermal  springs, 
temperature  122°  to  135°  F.,  in 
Croatia. 

Traunstein,  in  Upper  Bavaria, 
at  an  altitude  of  about  2,000  feet, 
on  the  Traun,  with  a  station  on 
the  line  between  Munich  and  Salz- 
burg, has  several  cold  earthy 
calcareous  springs  connected  with 
the  Kurhaus  Traunstein  and  the 
Wildbad  Empfing,  which  is 
near  at  hand,  containing  mag- 
nesium and  calcium  carbonate 
and  sodium  chloride.  It  also  has 
brine  baths,  the  brine  being 
brought  by  pipes  from  Reichen- 
hall,  and  mud  baths  and  pine- 
needle  baths  are  available.  The 


Empfing  water  is  considered 
valuable  in  the  treatment  of 
certain  renal  and  vesical  affec- 
tions. There  are  pleasant  walks 
around. 

Trefriw,  North  Wales,  in  the 
valley  of  the  Con  way,  two  miles 
from  the  railway  station  of 
Llanrwst,  has  strong  iron  springs, 
containing  ' '  large  quantities  of 
protosulphate  of  iron  and 
sulphate  of  aluminum,"  but 
' '  the  water  varies  much  in 
composition  from  time  to  time  ' ' 
(Leech). 

Trenczin  Toplitz,  a  Hungarian 
thermal  sulphur  spring,  with  sul- 
phur-mud baths. 

Trillo,  a  Spanish  (Province 
of  Guadalajara)  thermal  common 
salt  and  iron  water,  with  a  smell  of 
H2S.  Temperature  of  springs  77° 
to  86°  F.  Used  in  rheumatism 
and  skin  diseases. 

Tusnad,  a  chalybeate  spring  in 
Transylvania. 


Uriage  is  a  celebrated  French  spa,  with  a  spring 
containing,  as  its  chief  ingredients,  free  sulphuretted 
hydrogen  and  sodium  chloride — a  sulphur  and  salt 
spring. 

Uriage  is  situated  in  the  Department  of  the  Isere, 
in  a  beautiful  valley  of  the  mountains  of  Dauphine, 
and  may  be  regarded  almost  as  a  suburb  of  Grenoble, 
It  is  between  seven  and  eight  miles  from  that  remark- 
able town,  the  situation  of  which  is  certainly  one  of 
the  most  picturesque  and  striking  in  Europe. 

The  baths  of  Uriage  are  situated  at  an  elevation 
of  1,358  feet  above  the  sea,  and  although  this  is  not  a 
considerable  elevation,  it  is  quite  enough,  owing  to 
the  open  character  of  the  valley,  to  give  a  distinct 
freshness  to  the  air,  which,  even  in  August,  is  at 
times  quite  cool  in  the  early  mornings. 

Uriage  also  has  a  chalybeate  spring  of  no  great 
pretensions,  but,  as  we  have  said,  its  chief  mineral 


SECT.  B.]  URIAGE.  353 

source  is  characterised  especially  by  the  presence  in 
considerable  quantity  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen  and 
common  salt.  The  temperature,  at  the  source,  is  about 
80°  F.,  but  it  gets  colder  before  it  reaches  the  buvette, 
and  it  has  to  be  heated  artificially  for  the  baths.  It 
has  a  strong  smell  and  taste  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen, 
and  a  strong  taste  of  salt  also ;  but  it  is  not  so 
unpleasant  to  drink  as  might  be  imagined,  and  one 
quickly  gets  accustomed  to  it.  It  contains  rather 
more  than  10  parts  of  solid  constituents  to  the  litre  : 
of  sodium  chloride  6  grammes,  of  calcium,  magne- 
sium, and  sodium  sulphates  3  grammes,  and  of 
sulphuretted  hydrogen  7  volumes  per  1,000.  It 
is  taken  in  very  variable  quantities,  according  to  the 
nature  of  the  case  and  the  constitution  of  the  patient ; 
and  whereas  several  glasses  daily  may  be  ordered  to 
be  drunk  by  some  patients,  half  a  glass  twice  a  day 
is  as  much  as  is  permitted  to  others :  its  alterative 
or  tonic  action  being  especially  needed  in  some  cases, 
its  eliminative  action  in  others.  In  the  larger  doses 
it  is  purgative. 

The  cases  especially  suitable  to  treatment  by  the 
waters  of  Uriage  are  those  associated  with  what  the 
French  term  lymphatisme — what  used  to  be  termed 
"  scrofula  " — as  well  as  some  forms  of  chronic  rheuma- 
tism and  gout,  and  particularly  certain  skin  affections, 
the  existence  of  which  may  be  dependent  on  these  con- 
stitutional states.  The  various  forms  of  chronic  eczema, 
especially  the  moist  forms  ;  the  different  kinds  of 
acne,  boils,  chronic  urticaria,  herpes  of  the  genitals, 
and  tubercular  or  scrofulous  skin  affections,  are  bene- 
fited by  these  waters.  Some  very  chronic  forms  of 
skin  disease,  as  prurigo  and  psoriasis,  are  greatly 
benefited  and  sometimes  cured. 

Treatment  at  Uriage  has  been  found  very  bene- 
ficial to  delicate,  scrofulous,  and  anaemic  overgrown 
children,  and  is  said  to  act  like  a  "sea  bath  in  the 
mountains." 

Many  other  affections  of  children  are  reported  as 
suitable  for  treatment  at  Uriage,  such  as  scrofulous 

M 


354  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [-PART  i. 

inflammation  of  the  eyelids  and  similar  diseases  of 
the  eyes  and  ears ;  chronic  nasal  and  pharyngeal 
catarrh,  glandular  swellings,  scrofulous  diseases  of 
the  bones  and  joints,  etc.  In  all  such  cases  the 
curative  influence  of  the  waters  is  greatly  aided  by 
the  healthy,  open-air  life  in  this  mildly  bracing 
mountain  air. 

Chronic  rheumatism,  as  Dr.  Doyen,  the  well- 
known  specialist  of  Uriage,  so  well  observes,  is  bene- 
fited by  the  judicious  use  of  almost  all  mineral  waters, 
and  he  therefore  claims  no  special  influence  over  this 
malady  on  the  part  of  the  waters  of  Uriage,  but  he 
maintains  that  they  are  just  as  useful  as  those  of 
many  other  spas  in  muscular  and  articular  rheuma- 
tism, rheumatic  neuralgias,  and  chronic  sciatica. 

Chronic  uterine  inflammations,  when  associated 
with  lymphatisme,  are  benefited  by  treatment  there. 

Douche  massage  is  applied  in  a  special  manner  at 
Uriage,  and  was  introduced  there  so  long  ago  as 
1838.  The  patient  lies  on  an  inclined  table,  and  a 
single  attendant  only  is  needed.  Such  applications 
last  about  fifteen  minutes. 

Finally,  the  treatment  of  constitutional  syphilis 
is  undertaken  there  in  the  same  manner  as  at  Aix  la 
Chapelle,  and  with  good  results. 

The  chalybeate  spring  is  occasionally  used  as  an 
auxiliary  remedy,  and  only  for  drinking. 

The  season  begins  on  May  25th  and  finishes 
Oct.  1 5th.  June  is  the  best  month,  July  and 
August  the  next  best.  A  steam  tramway  now 
connects  Uriage  with  Grenoble  (twelve  kilometres) 
in  thirty-five  minutes.  Grenoble  is  634  kilometres 
from  Paris.  The  journey  takes  ten  to  eleven  hours. 


Ueberlingen,   in    the  Duchy  of  cases  of  chlorosis,  neurasthenia, 

Baden,  on  the  Ueberlingen  Lake,  and  female  maladies, 

a  bay  of  the  Lake  of  Constance,  j       Urberoaga  de  Alzola,  a  Spanish 

has   an    earthy   chalybeate    spring,  bath    a    few   hours'    drive    from 

which    is  conveyed    to   the    Bath  j    San    Sebastian,   in   the   Province 

Hotel  for  drinking  and  bathing,  in  !    of   Guipuzcoa,    with    picturesque 


SECT.    B.] 


VALS. 


355 


surroundings.  It  has  feebly 
mineralised  thermal  alkaline  earthy 
waters,  of  a  temperature  of  about 
87°  F.,  which  are  used  as  baths 
and  drunk,  especially  in  affections 
of  the  urinary  organs. 

Ussat  (Ariege,  Pyrenees),  situ- 
ated at  an  elevation  of  1,460  feet, 
in  a  picturesque  valley,  through 
which  the  river  Ariege  flows, 
within  half  an  hour's  drive  of 
Tarascon  station,  is  a  popular 
"ladies'  "  bath,  and  is  annually 
•resorted  to  by  a  great  number  of 
invalids  suffering  from  uterine 
and  allied  nervous  and  hysterical 
affections.  There  is  a  fine 
"  Etablissement  Thermal,"  situ- 
ated in  a  spacious  park,  and  the 
bathing  arrangements  are  exceed- 
ingly good.  There  is  a  small 
hospital  for  the  reception  and 
gratuitous  treatment  of  poor 
patients.  The  temperature  of  the 
springs  is  from  90°  to  100°  F. 
Their  mineralisation  is  feeble 
(1-27  grammes  to  a  litre),  and 


consists  chiefly  of  small  amounts 
of  the  carbonates  and  sulphates 
of  lime,  magnesia,  and  soda.  It 
is  classed  amongst  the  indifferent 
thermal  springs. 

These  baths,  when  employed  at 
a  moderate  temperature,  are  said 
to  be  exceedingly  soothing  to  the 
nervous  system,  and  of  great 
value  in  the  treatment  of  chronic 
metritis,  dysmenorrhcea,  and 
pelvic  neuralgias,  especially  in  the 
neurotic.  The  baths  are  also 
found  useful  in  nervous  dyspepsia, 
in  cutaneous  hyperaesthesia,  in 
chorea,  and  some  forms  of 
paralysis  of  doubtful  causation. 
One  of  the  specialities  of  Ussat  is 
the  administration  of  baths  of 
running  water,  a  stream  always 
running  through  the  baths  and 
keeping  the  water  continually  fresh 
and  of  the  same  temperature, 
which  can  be  varied  according 
to  the  distance  of  the  bath  from 
the  source.  Season,  June  i  to 
Sept.  15. 


Vals  in  Ardeche  (sta.  Vals  les  Bains),  between 
Lyons  and  Marseilles,  sixteen  hours  from  Paris  and 
five  from  Lyons,  on  a  branch  line  between  Vogue 
and  Nieigles-Pendes,  is  one  of  the  most  important 
spas  in  France,  and  were  it  not  for  its  distance  from 
the  capital  (434  miles),  it  would  probably  be  as  much 
frequented  by  foreigners  as  Vichy  is.  Its  waters,  as 
exported,  are  of  world-wide  reputation,  and  its  popu- 
larity as  a  watering  place  has  grown  greatly  of  late 
years.  The  little  town  is  picturesquely  situated  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  river  Volane,  in  a  valley  of  the 
Cevennes,  and  is  surrounded  by  an  amphitheatre  of 
volcanic  mountains.  It  consists  of  little  else  than  a 
long  street  of  hotels  (twenty  or  more  in  number), 
cafes  and  maisons  meublees.  Vals  is  surrounded  by 
vast  and  shady  parks  and  most  interesting  country, 
rich  in  picturesque  sites  of  wild  and  savage  beauty. 
It  is  situated  at  an  elevation  of  about  800  feet  above 


356  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

the  sea.  Its  climate  is  temperate,  and  intermediate 
between  that  of  the  Mediterranean  and  that  of  the 
mountainous  region  in  the  centre  of  France.  Average 
summer  temperature,  70°  F. 

The  springs,  of  which  there  are  fourteen  principal 
ones,  are  cold,  and  contain  large  but  varying  propor- 
tions of  bicarbonate  of  soda  and  large  quantities  of 
free  carbonic  acid. 

Vals  possesses  two  bath  establishments.  The 
larger  of  the  two  possesses  the  following  sources: 
Rigolette,  Precieuse,  Magdaleine,  Desiree,  Saint  Jean, 
and  Dominique  :  the  smaller  one  has  the  sources 
Marquise,  Souveraine,  Pauline,  Chloe,  des  Conva- 
lescents, Saint  Louis,  and  Constantine.  All  these 
contain  considerable  but  varying  quantities  of  bicar- 
bonate of  soda,  except  the  Dominique,  in  the  larger 
establishment,  and  the  Saint  Louis  in  the  smaller 
one  ;  these  two  are  ferruginous  and  arsenical  springs. 

Owing  to  the  large  amount  of  carbonic  acid  in 
these  springs,  even  the  strongest  of  them  are  not 
unpleasant  to  drink.  The  water  of  some  of  the 
sources  is  largely  exported,  especially  Precieuse,  Mag- 
daleine, and  Rigolette. 

We  may  take  the  Source  Magdaleine  as  a  repre- 
sentative of  the  stronger  springs,  containing,  as  it 
does,  over  7  grammes  of  bicarbonate  of  soda  per 
litre ;  and  the  Source  Pauline  as  a  representative  of 
the  weaker  springs,  as  it  contains  only  about  ij 
gramme  of  bicarbonate  of  soda  per  litre  ;  and  we 
have  between  these  several  degrees  of  mineralisa- 
tion, as,  for  instance,  the  Source  Desiree,  with  6 
grammes  per  litre  ;  the  Source  Rigolette,  with  rather 
more  than  5  grammes ;  the  Source  Souveraine, 
with  2 1  grammes  (this  spring  also  contains  a  small 
amount  of  lithium)  ;  and  the  Source  Chloe,  with 
2  grammes. 

The  Rigolette  is  often  warmed  for  use  in  the  same 
cases  as  those  suitable  for  treatment  with  the  hot 
springs  of  Vichy. 

The   following  is  the  detailed   analysis    of   the 


SECT.    B.] 


VALS. 


357 


Constantine. 

Pauline. 

7-05300 

I-6II7 

O'OyiOQ 

traces 

0*01075 

?  » 

0-43700 

0-0288 

traces 

0*0083 

0-00670 

nH 

0*0090 

IU 

0-15900 

0*1824 

0-28000 

00414 

0*20400 

0*1696 

traces 

traces 

traces 

traces 

2*10000 

1*0820 

Sources  Constantine  and  Pauline  (per  litre  —  1,000 
grammes)  : 

Bicarbonate  of  soda 

potash  ... 

,,  lithia    ... 

,,  lime 

,,  magnesia 

Carbonate  of  iron 
Silicate  of  alumina,  potash,  and 

soda 

Chloride  of  sodium 
Sulphate  of  soda 
Phosphate  of  soda 

Organic  matter 

Free  carbonic  acid  gas 

The  Vals  waters  are  richer  in  bicarbonate  of  soda 
than  any  other  known  mineral  waters,  and  the 
graduation  in  quantity  presented  by  the  different 
sources  is  of  great  convenience  in  their  therapeutic 
application. 

The  Vals  waters  have  a  large  range  of  applicability. 
They  are  useful  in  the  various  forms  of  acid  dyspepsia, 
nervo-muscular  atony  of  stomach  and  gastric  catarrh, 
in  hepatic  congestion,  jaundice,  and  gallstones ;  in 
diabetes  of  the  fat  and  gouty  type ;  in  gravel  and 
renal  and  vesical  calculi,  and  in  prostatic  enlargement 
and  irritability  of  the  bladder  (in  cases  with  much 
painful  cystitis  the  cure  must  be  applied  with  great 
caution,  and  only  the  mildest  springs  employed)  ;  in 
some  forms  of  chronic  gout  and  rheumatism;  in  splenic 
enlargements  as  a  sequel  of  malarial  fevers,  and  in 
certain  anaemic  and  chlorotic  conditions  associated 
with  functional  uterine  and  gastric  disturbances,  or 
the  consequence  of  chronic  malarial  cachexia.  The 
combination  of  the  alkaline  with  the  iron  and  arsenic 
springs  renders  the  cure  valuable  in  such  cases. 

The  selection  of  the  particular  spring  and  the  doses 
of  the  water  must  be  adapted  to  each  individual  case. 
The  alkaline  and  the  iron  and  arsenical  baths  have 
their  appropriate  indications.  Inhalations  and  vaginal 
douches  of  carbonic  acid  gas  are  also  prescribed  in 


358  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

suitable  cases.     An  establishment  for  giving  vapour 
baths  is  also  available. 

Alkalinity  of  the  chief  sources  of  Vals  estimated  as  bicarbonate  of 
soda  per  litre. 

Magdaleine          7-35  grammes 

(a)  Desir^e 6-04 

Rigolette 5-80 

(a)  Precieuse 5-80 

(6)  Impe'ratrice          r66 

(b)  St.  Jean 1-48 

(a)  Contains  also  a  considerable  amount  of  bicarbonate  of 
magnesia. 

(?)  Used  as  table-waters. 

Season  :  May  i5th  to  Oct.  ist. 

Vernet  les  Bains,  a  thermal  sulphur  bath  in  the 
Pyrenees  Orientales,  on  the  river  Cady,  at  the  foot 
of  the  Canigou,  on  its  western  side.  It  has  an 
elevation  of  2,100  feet  and  a  mild,  dry,  and  tonic 
climate.  It  is  one  of  the  most  southerly  of  French 
spas,  being  twenty-one  hours  from  Paris  and  only 
a  short  distance  from  the  Spanish  frontier.  It  is 
half-an-hour's  drive  from  the  station  Villefranche  cle 
Conflent,  the  terminus  of  the  line  between  Perpignan 
and  Prades.  Vernet  possesses  as  many  as  twelve 
springs  varying  in  temperature  from  100°  to  140°  R, 
the  dominant  ingredient  of  which  is  sodium  sulphide, 
O'oi88  gramme  per  litre.  The  water  also  contains 
some  free  nitrogen  and  sulphuretted  hydrogen  gases. 
Some  of  these  springs  contain  a  large  amount  of 
glair  ine,  which  gives  them  an  unctuous  feeling. 
They  have  been  found  very  useful  in  some  skin 
affections  and  in  certain  forms  of  gastro-enteritis. 
They  have  also  been  given,  in  very  small  doses,  in 
cases  of  early  phthisis. 

The  hotter  springs  are  especially  reserved  for 
baths  and  douches,  and  are  chiefly  used  in  cases 
of  chronic  rheumatism  and  other  chronic  joint 
affections,  as  well  as  in  certain  cases  of  perimetritis. 


SECT.  B.]  VICHY.  359 

The  weaker  springs  are  drunk  and  applied  as  gargles 
and  inhalations,  with  benefit,  in  chronic  pharyngitis 
and  laryngitis. 

The  three  bath  establishments  are  perfectly 
equipped  with  all  the  most  modern  appliances  for 
the  application  of  thermal  waters,  and  in  addition 
possess  special  apartments  devoted  to  massage, 
gymnastics,  fencing,  boxing,  etc.  The  hotel  accom- 
modation is  good,  the  amusements  are  varied. 

The  best  season  for  treatment  is  from  May  to 
October. 

Vernet,  besides  its  thermal  establishment,  is  well 
known  as  possessing  a  sanatorium  for  the  treatment 
of  consumption  on  hygienic  principles.  It  is  known 
as  the  Sanatorium  du  Canigou.  It  is  quite  inde- 
pendent of  the  baths. 

Vichy,  one  of  the  best  known  spas  in  Europe 
and  perhaps  the  most  frequented  of  all  the  French 
spas,  is  situated  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river  Allier 
in  the  Department  of  that  name,  about  240  miles 
from  Paris,  between  seven  and  eight  hours  by  fast 
train.  It  is  situated  at  an  elevation  of  about  850  feet 
above  the  sea.  Its  immediate  surroundings  cannot 
be  said  to  be  very  picturesque,  but  agreeable  and 
attractive  scenery  lies  close  at  hand. 

The  buildings  devoted  to  the  reception  of  visitors 
are  of  the  most  elaborate  kind.  The  New  Etab- 
lissement  Thermal,  only  recently  opened,  is  one  of 
the  most  magnificent  buildings  of  its  kind,  elabor- 
ately fitted  up  and  admirably  adapted  to  all  the 
purposes  it  has  to  serve.  There  is  provided  every 
kind  of  bath  and  douche,  all  kinds  of  massage,  and 
all  forms  of  "  mecanotherapie."  There  are  several 
smaller  bath  establishments. 

Inhalations  of  oxygen  and  of  carbonic  acid  are 
provided.  A  carbonic  acid  bath  is  also  employed, 
and  is  regarded  there  as  a  valuable  remedy  in 
certain  forms  of  neuralgia  and  in  cases  of  gouty 
irritation  of  the  skin,  while  inhalations  and  douches 


360  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

of  this  gas  are  said  to  give  relief  in  some  forms  of 
dry  asthma,  of  angina,  and  of  chronic  coryza. 
Other  accessory  methods  of  treatment — such  as  the 
curative  application  of  heat,  light,  electricity,  and 
mechanical  appliances — are  provided. 

The  casino  is  an  elegant  and  luxurious  building, 
providing  every  imaginable  resource  to  prevent  the 
visitors  at  Vichy  from  falling  victims  to  that  most 
terrible  of  maladies,  F ennui.  Balls,  concerts,  and 
excellent  operatic  and  dramatic  performances,  in 
which  some  of  the  most  distinguished  actors  and 
singers  in  France  frequently  take  part,  are  daily 
provided. 

Vichy  may  be  regarded  as  the  type  of  simple 
alkaline  springs,  its  richness  in  bicarbonate  of  sodium 
being  its  chief  characteristic. 

Its  immediate  neighbourhood  is  extraordinarily 
rich  in  mineral  springs.  Wherever  a  shaft  is  sunk 
within  a  distance  of  six  or  seven  miles  in  the  basin 
surrounding  the  place,  alkaline  gaseous  springs 
analogous  to  those  of  Vichy  are  certain  to  be 
found.  Hence  it  is  that  many  of  the  springs 
are  private  property  and  bear  the  names  of  their 
proprietors  —  such,  for  example,  as  the  Source 
Lardy,  the  Source  Larbaud,  and  others,  each 
proprietor  naturally  claiming  special  virtues  for 
his  own  spring.  But  the  springs  chiefly  employed 
belong  to  the  State.  Now,  although  all  these  springs 
are  of  the  same  general  character,  they  differ,  many 
of  them,  from  one  another  in  obvious  physical 
qualities.  Some  are  cold,  most  are  hot ;  some  con- 
tain a  considerable  quantity  of  free  carbonic  acid, 
some  contain  very  little  ;  some  are  clear  and  spark- 
ling, some  are  slightly  cloudy. 

Moreover,  some  of  the  Vichy  springs  contain 
iron  in  appreciable  quantity,  while  others  do  not, 
and  this  fact  is  made  use  of  to  classify  these  springs 
into  two  groups — the  simple  alkaline  waters  and  the 
alkaline  iron  waters.  It  is  to  the  possession  of  the 
former,  however,  that  Vichy  owes  its  great  reputa- 


SECT.  B.J  VICHY.  361 

tion.  The  predominating  ingredient  in  all  the  sources 
of  Vichy  is  bicarbonate  of  soda,  and  it  is  the  chief 
one  in  its  simple  alkaline  springs.  Of  these  there  are 
three  which  are  commonly  drunk.  Two  are  hot 
springs — viz.  the  Grande  Grille,  having  a  temperature 
of  106°  F.,  and  L'Hopital,  having  a  temperature  ,of 
81*5°  F.);  the  third  is  a  cold  spring,  the  well-known 
Celestins,  so  called  because  of  the  existence  of  an 
ancient  convent  of  that  name  close  to  the  source.  It 
is  a  very  pleasant  water  to  drink,  and  has  none  of  the 
disagreeable  alkaline  taste  which  an  ordinary  solution 
of  bicarbonate  of  soda  has.  Its  taste  is,  moreover,  quite 
different  from  that  of  the  other  two  springs,  although 
their  chemical  composition  is  nearly  identical.  The 
difference  of  temperature  and  of  relative  proportions 
of  free  carbonic  acid  in  each  may,  to  a  certain 
extent,  account  for  this. 

The  mineral  constituents  found  in  the  Vichy 
springs  amount  to  about  8  grammes  in  the  litre. 
Besides  bicarbonate  of  soda,  these  sources  con- 
tain bicarbonates  of  potash,  magnesia,  strontia, 
and  lime,  chloride  of  sodium,  and  small  quanti- 
ties of  sulphate  and  phosphate  of  soda.  Some 
of  the  springs  at  Vichy  contain  as  much  as  5 
grammes  of  bicarbonate  of  soda  to  the  litre ;  this 
fact,  together  with  the  relatively  high  temperature 
of  some  of  its  springs,  gives  to  these  waters  a  very 
high  degree  of  importance  medically.  It  is  worth 
noticing  that  these  springs  contain  also  a  minute 
quantity  of  arsenic,  two  or  three  milligrammes  of 
arsenate  of  soda  in  a  litre.  This  ingredient  increases 
in  quantity,  and  assumes  great  importance,  in  some 
of  the  neighbouring  spas  of  Auvergne. 

The  spring  at  Vichy  which  contains  the  largest 
amount  of  iron  is  the  Source  Mesdames.  It  arises 
about  two  miles  from  Vichy,  and  is  conveyed  to  the 
town  in  pipes.  Another  spring,  the  Hauterive,  which 
contains  a  notable  amount  of  iron,  and  is  richest  of 
all  in  free  carbonic  acid,  arises  at  a  distance  of  three 
miles  from  Vichy,  and  is,  on  both  these  accounts, 
M* 


362  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I. 

largely  used  for  bottling  and  exportation.  Four 
springs  have  been  conducted  to  the  "Trink-hall" 
of  the  new  establishment — the  Grande  Grille,  the 
Mesdames,  the  Chomel,  and  the  Lucas. 

It  need  scarcely  be  pointed  out  that  serious  treat- 
ment by  an  active  agent  such  as  the  mineral  waters 
of  Vichy  imperatively  demands  constant  and  ex- 
perienced medical  counsel  and  supervision.  Where 
there  are  so  many  sources  having  only  slight  shades 
of  difference  in  quality  and  composition,  the  ad- 
vantage of  prolonged  study  and  experience  in 
determining  the  selection  of  one  in  preference  to 
another  is  quite  obvious.  Then  there  is  the  question 
of  the  quantity  of  water  suitable  to  each  case,  the 
question  of  baths  and  of  the  length  of  time  during 
which  such  baths  should  be  taken,  the  propriety  of 
using  douches  and  the  kind  of  douche  to  be  em- 
ployed, the  length  of  time  the  cure  should  last :  these 
and  many  other  minor  questions  must  be  left  to  local 
authority  and  experience  to  answer. 

Speaking  generally,  the  source  prescribed  for 
stomach  affections  is  L'Hopital,  that  for  hepatic 
disorders  the  Grande  Grille,  and  that  for  gout  and 
renal  maladies  the  Celestins.  But  in  each  case  the 
temperament,  the  constitution,  and  the  habits  of  the 
individual  have  to  be  considered,  as  well  as  the  nature 
of  the  malady.  These  traditional  indications  are 
not,  however,  always  applicable — e.g.  when  the  liver 
is  very  irritable  and  readily  congested,  the  Grande 
Grille  should  be  used  with  much  caution  or  altogether 
avoided,  and  the  Celestins  must  not  be  given  in  cases 
of  old-established  renal  lesions  or  cases  of  irritable 
bladder.  L'Hopital  is  said  to  be  less  exciting  than 
any  of  the  other  springs,  and  best  suited  to  feeble 
and  irritable  stomachs.  The  Grande  Grille  is  hotter, 
more  stimulating,  more  rapidly  digested,  acts  more 
quickly  and  energetically,  and  is  especially  indicated 
in  cases  of  hepatic  torpor  and  congestion  and  in  cases 
of  gallstone,  with  or  without  jaundice.  It  is  to  be 
preferred  in  lymphatic  and  debilitated  constitutions, 


SECT.  B.]  VICHY.  363 

and  is  of  especial  value  in  the  malarious  cachexia 
often  engendered  among  the  French  colonists  in 
Africa,  taken  either  alone  or  mixed  with  one  of  the 
ferruginous  springs. 

The  Celestins,  much  preferred  for  its  agreeable 
taste  and  sparkling  quality,  is  said  to  be  highly  stimu- 
lating and  exciting  to  the  nervous  system.  The  iron 
springs,  the  Source  Lardy  and  the  Source  Mesdames, 
are  especially  serviceable  in  the  case  of  women  and 
children  suffering  from  the  after-effects  of  malarial 
fevers,  and  are  also  well  borne  by  dyspeptics  who  re- 
quire iron.  The  quantity  of  water  to  be  taken  daily 
varies  of  necessity  with  the  malady  and  the  individual ; 
it  is  no  longer  the  fashion  to  prescribe  the  large 
quantities  which  were  at  one  time  consumed.  In- 
deed, the  tendency  has  sometimes  been  towards  the 
other  extreme,  and  very  remarkable  results  have 
been  obtained  with  quite  small  doses  of  the  thermal 
springs.  In  cases  of  very  feeble  digestion  only  very 
small  doses  should  at  first  be  prescribed.  A  short 
time  before  breakfast  and  dinner  is  considered  the 
best  time  for  drinking  the  water,  the  dose  varying 
from  three  to  twelve  ounces  according  to  the  case. 
The  Vichy  physicians  consider  the  baths  an  important 
part  of  the  cure.  They  are  usually  taken  daily  for 
half  an  hour  at  a  time  at  a  temperature  of  86°  to 
93°  F.,  the  mineral  water  being  mixed  with  an 
equal  quantity  of  fresh  water.  This  is  said  to  be 
an  important  precaution,  the  neglect  of  which  may 
lead  to  sleeplessness,  headache,  congestion  of  the 
brain,  and  many  febrile  and  nervous  phenomena. 
The  addition  of  bran  to  the  bath  is  a  method  com- 
monly adopted  for  diminishing  its  stimulating  effect. 

The  douche,  tepid  or  warm,  is  more  suitable  to 
some  cases  than  the  bath,  especially  to  the  neuras- 
thenic or  nervous  dyspeptics,  and  the  irritable  gouty 
and  congestive  subjects.  The  cold  douche  is  reserved 
for  torpid  anaemia,  for  certain  forms  of  atonic 
dyspepsia,  and  for  those  cases  generally  in  which  it 
is  desired  to  rouse  and  stimulate  functional  activity. 


364  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

The  douche-massage  as  applied  at  Aix  les  Bains 
has  been  introduced  at  Vichy  and  found  most 
serviceable  in  the  treatment  of  the  gouty,  the 
rheumatic,  the  obese,  and  certain  diabetics.  The 
ascending  douche  has  also  been  largely  used,  and 
is  highly  esteemed  at  Vichy.  The  effect  of  the  local 
application  of  the  douche  in  cases  of  gallstone  and 
of  engorgement  of  the  liver  and  spleen  is  highly 
spoken  of.  The  cases,  then,  to  which  the  course 
of  treatment  at  Vichy  is  appropriate  are  those  of 
dyspepsia,  gastric  and  intestinal,  when  not  due  to 
organic,  malignant  disease,  African  dysenteries,  the 
sequelae  of  malarial  fevers,  congestion  of  the  liver  and 
gallstones,  with  the  jaundice  which  frequently 
accompanies  these  conditions.  Hepatic  colic  is  a 
malady  especially  amenable  to  treatment  by  the 
thermal  springs  of  Vichy. 

Cases  of  gastric  ulcer  (non-haemorrhagic)  are  said 
to  do  well  here  when  treated  with  the  mineral  waters 
combined  with  a  milk  diet.  The  Vichy  course  proves 
particularly  valuable  in  gastro-hepatic  dyspepsias, 
cases  in  which  hepatic  torpor  and  inadequacy  plays 
such  an  important  role. 

Lavage  of  the  stomach  with  Vichy  water  is  not 
practised  so  much  now  as  formerly,  as  cases  of  a 
moderate  degree  of  gastric  dilatation  recover  without 
recourse  to  this  disagreeable  proceeding.  Some  forms 
of  nervous  dyspepsia  do  well  here  if  the  course  is 
combined  with  hydrotherapy. 

Some  years  ago  a  violent  dispute  arose  among  the 
doctors  of  Vichy  as  to  whether  gout  could  or  could 
not  be  advantageously  treated  there.  The  dispute 
grew  so  warm  that  it  was  referred  to  the  Minister  of 
Agriculture  and  Commerce,  who  referred  it  to  the 
Academy  of  Medicine,  and  this  body,  in  turn,  refused 
to  give  any  very  definite  decision  on  so  delicate  a 
question.  The  conclusions  of  one  of  the  greatest 
medical  authorities  in  Vichy  and  in  France  on  this 
subject  may  be  thus  summarised  :  Seeing  that  gout  is 
a  particular  error  or  vice  of  nutrition,  and  that  the 


SECT.  B.J  VICHY.  365 

maintenance  in  their  integrity  of  the  natural  pheno- 
mena of  nutrition  is  the  chief  condition  that  can 
preserve  from  gout,  and  seeing  that  one  of  the  most 
manifest  effects  of  the  waters  of  Vichy,  properly 
administered,  is  the  regulation  of  the  digestive  and 
eliminating  functions,  and  to  excite  in  them  a  special 
activity,  it  follows  that  the  waters  of  Vichy  tend  to 
prevent  gout  or  to  correct  the  gouty  constitution  by 
maintaining  nutrition  intact  or  by  re-establishing  it 
when  disturbed.  It  is  in  this  general  way,  and  not  as 
a  specific  antidote,  that  the  waters  of  Vichy  are 
valuable  in  gout. 

While  it  was  imagined  that  these  waters  acted  as 
a  kind  of  chemical  antidote  to  gout,  they  were  often 
administered  in  excessively  large  and  injurious  quanti- 
ties ;  but  now  that  a  different  and  more  rational  view 
of  their  modus  operandi  is  accepted,  the  use  of  small 
doses,  the  effects  of  which  are  carefully  watched,  is 
the  order  of  the  day.  "  Of  all  the  diseases  treated  at 
Vichy,"  writes  the  eminent  authority  to  whom  we 
have  already  alluded,  "  gout  is  the  one  whose  treat- 
ment requires  the  greatest  amount  of  precaution  and 
watchfulness." 

Some  cases  of  gouty  eczema  do  well  there,  and  so 
do  cases  of  acne  rosacea  and  urticaria  when  dependent 
on  gastro-hepatic  disorder. 

With  respect  to  renal  calculous  affections  so 
constantly  treated  with  so  much  success  at  Vichy, 
it  is  to  be  remembered  that  it  is  especially  in 
the  uric  acid  forms  that  it  proves  serviceable,  and 
that  in  cases  of  phosphatic  and  oxalic  gravel  it  should 
be  avoided. 

In  cases  of  diabetes  the  course  at  Vichy  has  been 
frequently  found  of  the  greatest  advantage  ;  but  in 
these  cases,  as,  indeed,  in  cases  of  gout,  the  Vichy 
waters  must  not  be  regarded  in  any  sense  as  a  specific 
remedy,  but  as  producing  their  good  effects  through  a 
general  amelioration  of  the  processes  of  nutrition  and 
assimilation.  It  is  to  the  fat  and  gouty  diabetics  that 
these  waters  do  so  much  good,  while  they  are  of  no 


366  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

service  to  the  young,  thin  diabetic,  whose  case  is  almost 
always  incurable ;  nor  are  they  applicable  to  the 
pancreatic  and  nervous  forms. 

Vichy  is  also  one  of  the  many  spas  to  which  obese 
persons  resort  for  the  cure  of  obesity.  Douche  mas- 
sage is  applied  to  these  cases,  together  with  the 
internal  use  of  the  water.  Hereditary  forms  of 
obesity  have  not  been  found  to  benefit  at  Vichy. 

Cases  of  anaemia,  pure  and  simple,  would  scarcely 
come  to  Vichy  for  a  cure ;  but  cases  of  cachectic  or 
symptomatic  anaemia — i.e.  anaemia  the  consequence 
of  other  disease,  especially  of  disease  of  the  organs  of 
digestion  and  assimilation — are  no  doubt  frequently 
benefited  to  a  great  extent  by  the  alkaline  iron 
springs  which  are  met  with  there. 

The  high  estimation  in  which  the  Vichy  waters 
are  held  in  the  treatment  of  the  morbid  results  left 
behind  by  malarial  disease,  is  testified  to  by  the  fact 
that  a  military  hospital  has  been  established  there 
with  accommodation  for  750  soldiers  and  officers, 
invalided  after  service  in  the  French  colonies. 

The  physiological  action  of  the  Vichy  waters  is 
thus  explained  by  the  medical  authorities  experienced 
in  its  application  :  The  warm,  gaseous,  alkaline  water 
taken  fasting,  by  its  local  action  on  the  stomach, 
relieves  gastric  pains  and  discomfort.  Its  digestion  is 
easy  and  rapid,  and  it  promotes  appetite.  It  relieves 
and  often  cures  the  symptoms  of  gastric  dyspepsia,  as 
weight,  flatulence,  and  a  feeling  of  distension  after 
food.  The  urine  is  increased  in  quantity  ;  its  acidity 
is  at  first  increased  and  subsequently  diminished. 
About  the  eighth  day  a  discharge  of  uric  acid  and 
urates  has  been  observed,  which  with  some  patients 
will  continue  throughout  the  cure.  This  points  to  an 
acceleration  of  tissue  changes  and  the  promotion  of 
the  eliminating  function  of  the  kidneys.  Towards 
the  twelfth  day  some  disturbance  of  digestion  may 
occur,  such  as  loss  of  appetite,  furred  tongue,  consti- 
pation, sometimes  diarrhoea.  Interruption  of  the 
course  for  two  or  three  days,  and  a  few  doses  of  a 


SECT.  B.]  VICHY.  367 

purgative  water,  such  as  Apenta,  will  usually  suffice 
to  remedy  this  crise  thermale. 

The  sum  of  the  physiological  effects  of  the  cure  at 
Vichy  is  to  regulate  the  assimilative  functions — acting 
on  the  liver,  the  kidneys,  and  the  intestinal  tract, 
but  especially  on  the  liver.  Its  alkalinity  in  part 
explains  its  action.  Exercising  a  modifying  action 
on  the  secretions  it  is  in  a  special  degree  the  remedy 
for  defects  of  assimilation. 

The  dietetic  regime  prescribed  at  Vichy  is  not  a 
very  severe  one,  nor  is  it  in  any  way  special.  A  fair 
and  moderate  amount  of  wholesome  food  and  wine  is 
all  that  is  insisted  upon.  A  breakfast  at  ten  o'clock 
of  two  or  three  courses,  of  which  one  is  usually  of 
cooked  fruit  and  vegetables  and  frequently  carrots — 
for  stewed  carrots  is  a  speciality  of  the  breakfasts  at 
Vichy — a  little  red  wine  and  water,  or  tea  or  coffee 
for  a  beverage ;  a  dinner  at  half-past  five,  which 
differs  in  no  respect  from  the  dinners  met  with  at  the 
tables  d'hote  of  any  good  French  hotel — these  two 
meals  form  the  pension  at  the  hotels.  Early  hours 
are  the  rule  there.  At  six  o'clock  drinking  and  bathing 
commence  seriously.  Half  an  hour  or  an  hour  of 
absolute  repose  after  the  bath  is  de  rigueur.  After 
the  ten  o'clock  breakfast,  a  lounge  in  the  open  air,  or 
a  very  gentle  promenade,  or  a  ride  on  a  donkey  passes 
the  time  till  two  or  three  in  the  afternoon,  when 
water  drinking  begins  again,  and  those  bathe  who  do 
not  like  the  early  morning  hour. 

Only  two  miles  from  Vichy  is  another  town, 
Cusset,  with  important  mineral  springs.  It  has  this 
advantage  over  Vichy,  that  it  is  two  miles  nearer 
to  such  picturesque  scenery  as  the  neighbourhood 
offers,  and  it  possesses  a  spring,  the  Sainte  Marie, 
much  richer  in  iron  than  any  of  those  at  Vichy. 
In  other  respects  the  waters  are  of  the  same 
composition.  The  season  extends  from  May  i5th 
to  Oct.  ist. 

The  following  table  gives  the  analyses  of  the 
three  principal  springs  at  Vichy — La  Grande  Grille, 


368 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


L'Hopital,  Les  Celestins,  as  well  as  that  of  the  spring 
containing  the  largest  amount  of  iron  : — 


La  Grande 
Grille. 

L'H6pita1. 

Les 

Celestirs. 

Mesdames. 

Grammes. 

Grammes. 

Grammes. 

Grammes. 

Bicarbonate  of  soda 

4-883 

5*029 

5'103 

4*016 

,,              potash  ... 

0-352 

0*440 

0*3^5 

0*189 

,,              magnesia 

0-303 

0*200 

0*328 

0*425 

,,              strontia... 

0.003 

O*OO5 

0*005 

0'003 

»              lime 

°'434 

0*570 

0*462 

0*604 

,,               oxide     of 

iron    .  .  . 
Sulphate  of  soda 
Phosphate  of  soda 

0*004 
0*291 
0*130 

0*004 
0*291 
0*046 

0*004 
0*291 
0*091 

0*026 
0*250 

traces 

Arsenate    of    soda     and 

lithia      

traces 

Chloride  of  sodium 

0*534 

0*5l8 

0*534 

o*355 

Silicic  acid          

0*070 

0*050 

o'o6o 

0-032 

7*914 

8*222 

8*244 

7'8ii 

Litre. 

Litre. 

Litre. 

Litre. 

Free  carbonic  acid 

0*908 

1*067 

1-049 

I*908 

Vittel  is  more  or  less  a  rival  of  Contrexeville, 
possessing  springs  of  the  same  character,  composition, 
and  uses.  It  is  only  three  miles  off,  and  has  the 
advantage  of  a  more  open  and  agreeable  situation. 
Its  elevation  above  the  sea  is,  like  that  of  Contrexe- 
ville, about  1,100  feet,  and  its  climate  is  temperate 
but  rather  cold,  and  the  nights  are  fresh.  Those 
who  object  to  the  " shut-in"  situation  of  Contrexe- 
ville will  find  Vittel  more  to  their  taste. 

As  to  the  springs  at  Vittel,  thirteen  in  number, 
there  are  only  two  in  general  use — the  Grande 
Source,  which  resembles  in  all  essentials  the  Pavilion 
at  Contrexeville,  but  is  weaker  (it  contains  r6$ 
grammes  of  solid  constituents  in  a  litre  against 
2' 3  grammes  in  the  Pavilion),  and  the  Source  Salee, 
a  more  active  spring  with  275  grammes  of  solid 
constituents  to  the  litre.  The  former  is  diuretic,  and 
is  given  in  the  same  cases — i.e.  affections  of  the 
urinary  tract,  gravel,  etc. — and  in  the  same  manner 


SECT.    B.J 


VITTEL. 


369 


as  the  Pavilion,  but  it  is  said  to  be  more  digestible 
though  weaker.  The  Source  Salee  is  laxative  and 
applicable  to  cases  -of  stomach  and  liver  affection, 
biliary  colic,  and  to  the  cure  of  habitual  constipation. 
These  springs  are  drunk  in  large  quantities — six  to 
twelve  glasses  a  day — and  the  same  class  of  cases 
are  sent  to  Vittel  as  to  Contrexeville.  Two  sub- 
ordinate springs  are  also  in  use — the  Source  Marie 
and  the  Source  des  Demoiselles.  These  are  all  cold 
springs  of  a  temperature  between  52°  and  50°  F. 

Baths  and  douches  are  used  in  subordination  to 
the  drinking  cure,  and  hydrotherapeutic  methods  are 
well  carried  out.  But  baths  and  douches  are  con- 
sidered to  be  counter-indicated  in  cases  of  gout. 
What  has  been  said  as  to  the  physiological  action 
of  Contrexeville  waters  applies  equally  to  those  of 
Vittel ;  and  the  maladies  treated  there  are  the 
same — gout  and  renal  and  biliary  concretions  mainly, 
diabetes,  dyspepsia,  and  hepatic  congestion  when 
dependent  on  the  uric  acid  diathesis. 

Like  the  cure  at  Contrexeville,  here  also  the 
excretion  of  urea  is  augmented  and  that  of  uric  acid, 
after  a  temporary  increase  (eliminative),  is  diminished, 
and  so  is  the  total  acidity  of  the  urine. 


Valdieri,  in  North  Italy,  Pied- 
mont, has  simple  thermal  waters, 
one  of  which,  the  Sorgente  San 
Lorenzo,  has  a  temperature  of 
156°  F.  Valdieri  lies  in  the 
valley  of  the  Gesso,  distant  five 
and  a-half  hours  from  the  railway 
station  of  Cuneo,  at  an  altitude"  of 
2,700  feet.  Its  waters  are  used 
for  drinking  and  bathing — a  slimy 
mud  is  collected  from  the  bottom 
of  the  springs,  composed  in  part  of 
organic  substances,  and  is  used  for 
local  or  general  applications  to  the 
surface  of  the  body ,  like  the  mud ,  or 
fango,  at  other  Italian  spas.  The 
diseases  treated  there  are  chronic 
rheumatism,  rheumatoid  arthritis, 
scrofula,  and  skin  diseases. 


Vallacabras,  a  Spanish  pur- 
gative water,  rich  in  sodium  sul- 
phate. 

Vals,  in  Switzerland,  Canton 
Grisons,  has  warm  calcareous 
springs,  the  temperature  not  ex- 
ceeding 77°  to  79°  F.  It  is 
situated  in  the  Valserthal,  four- 
teen miles  from  Ilanz,  at  an 
altitude  of  4,100  feet.  Its  reputa- 
tion is  wholly  local,  and  it  is  but 
little  frequented. 

Val  Sinestra,  in  Canton 
Grisons,  Switzerland,  has  springs 
which  may  be  termed  gaseous, 
ferruginous,  and  arsenical.  The 
springs  are  near  Sens,  in  the 
Lower  Engadine,  and  about  three 
hours  distant  from  Tarasp-Schuls. 


370 


MINERAL    SPRINGS. 


[PART  i. 


The  waters  are  brought  to  Schuls 
chiefly,  and  they  are  also  exported. 
They  contain  per  litre  0-0017  to 
0-0019  of  sodium  arsenate,  0-03 
of  bicarbonate  of  iron,  and  1-5  of 
bicarbonate  of  lime. 

Vegri  di  Valdagno,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Recoaro,  has  sulphate 
of  iron  waters. 

Veldes,  in  Upper  Carniola, 
Austria,  on  the  Lake  of  Veldes, 
in  the  Savethal,  at  an  altitude  of 
1,560  feet,  has  an  indifferent 
thermal  spring  of  a  temperature  of 
80°  F.  The  situation  is  a  fine 
one,  and  it  is  resorted  to  in  the 
summer  for  ' '  sun-baths  ' '  and 
hydrotherapy.  The  railway  station 
at  Lees- Veldes  is  about  three- 
quarters  of  an  hour's  drive. 

Vicarello,  about  sixteen  miles 
from  Rome,  has  simple  thermal 
waters.  Temperature  113°  F. 
Said  to  be  the  Roman  Aqua 
Apollinaris. 

Vic  le  Comte  (or  St.  Maurice), 
France,  Puy  de  Dome,  on  the 
line  from  Clermont  Ferrand  to 
Issoire —station,  three  miles  from 
the  bath — has  thermal  springs, 
containing  sodium  bicarbonate 
and  sodium  chloride,  of  the  type 
of  the  Royat  waters.  The  Source 
St.  Marguerite  is  the  most 
important,  and  contains,  per  litre, 
nearly  5  grammes,  together  of 
sodium  bicarbonate  and  chloride, 
O'oo2  of  sodium  arsenate,  and  0-05 
of  bicarbonate  of  iron.  Its  tem- 
perature is  88°  F.  These  waters 
are  exported. 

Vic      sur      Cere,     Department 


Cantal,  France,  a  small  bath 
about  twelve  miles  from  Aurillac, 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountains  of 
Cantal,  in  Central  France, 
having  cold  gaseous  chalybeate 
arsenical  waters.  They  are  re- 
ported to  contain,  per  litre, 
sodium  arsenate  0-008,  in  addition 
to  sodium  bicarbonate  i'8,  sodium 
chloride  1-2,  and  bicarbonate  of 
iron  0-05,  and  some  salts  of  lime 
and  magnesium.  These  waters 
are  chiefly  exported. 

Vidago,  a  Portuguese  bath, 
having  waters  somewhat  analagous 
in  composition  and  therapeutic 
properties  to  those  of  Vichy.  The 
strongest  are  reported  to  contain, 
per  litre,  sodium  bicarbonate 
4-6,  lithium  bicarbonate  0-03, 
calcium  bicarbonate  0-9,  and 
bicarbonate  of  iron  o'oi  ;  also 
some  free  carbonic  acid  gas.  The 
water  is  bottled  for  exportation, 

Villach,  in  Carinthia,  has 
indifferent  thermal  springs. 

Vinadio,  North  I,taly,  Pied- 
mont, has  thermal  common  salt  and 
sulphur  waters  and  natural  vapour 
baths  (stufe),  also  fango  or  hot 
mud  for  outward  application. 
It  is  twenty-two  miles  from  the 
railway  station  of  Cuneo. 

Viterbo,  Province  of  Rome,  has 
thermal  sulphur  waters. 

Voeslau,  in  Lower  Austria, 
about  thirty  miles  south  of 
Vienna,  has  it-arm,  indifferent 
springs  (75°  F.),  only  used  for 
baths  in  neurasthenic  conditions 
in  women.  The  grape  cure  is  also 
carried  out  there. 


Weilbach,  a  cold  sulphur  bath  in  Hesse-Nassau, 
Germany,  is  situated  between  Frankfort  and  Wies- 
baden, a  short  drive  from  Florsheim  station,  at  an 
elevation  of  440  feet  above  the  sea.  It  has  two 
springs,  known  as  the  Schwefelquelle  and  the  Natrion- 
lithionquelle.  The  former  is  a  cold  and  feebly 
mineralised  spring,  but  contains  sulphuretted  hydrogen 


SECT.  B.]  WEISSENBURG.  371 

gas.  It  is  considered  to  be  useful  in  the  treatment 
of  obese  persons  with  a  tendency  to  hypertrophy  of 
the  liver  and  haemorrhoids.  The  spray  and  vapour 
of  this  water  are  inhaled  in  cases  of  catarrh  of  the 
respiratory  organs.  It  is  used  also  for  the  pre- 
paration of  sulphur  baths. 

The  water  of  the  Natrion-lithionquelle  is  an 
alkaline  common  salt  water,  containing  sodium 
chloride  i'2,  sodium  carbonate  1-3,  and  lithium 
bicarbonate  0*009.  It  is  applied  in  the  treatment 
of  gouty  and  renal  affections  and  gastro-intestinal 
catarrh. 

The  sulphur  water  is  used  not  only  in  the  cases 
mentioned,  but  also  in  metallic  poisoning,  and  in  the 
treatment  of  constitutional  syphilis. 

The  season  is  from  the  beginning  of  May  to  the 
end  of  September. 

Weissenburg.  —  A  Swiss  weakly  mineralised 
slightly  warm  calcareous  or  earthy  spring  in 
Canton  Bern,  a  three  hours'  drive  from  the  railway 
station  of  Thun.  Weissenburg  is  situated  at  an 
altitude  of  2,820  feet  in  a  sheltered  and  well- wooded 
valley  leading  out  of  the  Simmenthal  in  a  north- 
westerly direction.  The  new  bath  establishment  is 
a  mile  and  a- quarter  from  the  village. 

The  bath  establishment  is  surrounded  by  dense 
forests  of  pine  and  beech  trees,  so  that  there  is 
almost  entire  freedom  from  dust  and  from  high 
winds,  while  there  are  many  shady  and  agreeable 
walks.  The  mean  humidity  of  the  atmosphere  is 
rather  high  in  .summer,  and  this  may  be  accounted 
for  by  the  spray  from  the  neighbouring  torrent 
and  its  cascades,  and  the  influence  of  surrounding 
forests. 

The  mineral  spring  has  a  temperature  of  about 
80°  F.,  and  is  practically  only  used  for  drinking.  It 
is  feebly  mineralised,  its  total  solids  per  litre  only 
amounting  to  1-39,  of  which  calcium  sulphate  forms 
0*95.  It  also  contains  small  amounts  of  carbonate 


372  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

of  calcium  and  magnesium  and  of  sulphates  of  mag- 
nesium, sodium,  and  potassium.  This  water  is 
diuretic  in  its  action,  and  at  first  tends  to  constipate, 
but  it  is  said  to  act  later  on  as  a  laxative. 

It  is  usual  to  commence  with  very  small  doses, 
an  ounce  or  two,  which  are  gradually  increased  until 
about  twenty  ounces  are  taken  daily.  If  it  causes 
constipation,  it  is  usual  to  add  to  the  water  a  little 
magnesium  sulphate.  Feeble  patients  are  advised 
to  take  the  early  morning  doses  of  the  water  in  bed. 
It  is  said  to  facilitate  expectoration  in  pulmonary 
cases. 

The  speciality  of  this  spa  is  the  treatment  or 
respiratory  affections,  catarrh  of  the  respiratory 
passages,  chronic  bronchitis,  asthma,  and  the  early 
stages  of  pulmonary  tuberculosis.  The  water  drink- 
ing has  perhaps  less  curative  influence  in  these  latter 
cases  than  the  soothing  and  invigorating  climate,  the 
regulated,  hygienic  mode  of  life,  and  the  calm  and 
restful  surroundings  with  the  out-of-door  exercise  in 
the  pine  woods. 

The  season  is  from  May  i5th  to  Sept.  3oth. 

Wiesbaden,  in  Hesse-Nassau,  a  few  miles  from 
Frankfort  on  the  Main,  at  an  elevation  of  380  feet,  is 
one  of  the  oldest  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  popular 
spas  in  Germany,  and  the  reputation  of  its  baths 
reaches  back  to  the  time  of  the  Romans.  Unlike 
most  of  the  other  spas,  it  is  open  all  the  year  round, 
having  a  winter  season  as  well1  as  a  summer  season. 
So  Wiesbaden  has  grown  to  be  a  considerable  town, 
and  presents  on  that  account  many  advantages  to  the 
invalid  visitor.  It  has  excellent  hotels  and  lodging- 
houses  of  all  kinds  and  of  all  prices.  Education  is 
good  and  not  expensive,  and  the  same  may  be  said 
of  its  amusements. 

Wiesbaden  aims  at  providing  nearly  everything 
that  all  classes  of  invalids  may  require,  and  possesses 
special  resources  for  all  kinds  of  special  maladies. 
There  are  excellent  establishments  for  the  application 


SECT.  B.]  WIESBADEN:  373 

of  hydrotherapy,  with  douches,  large  swimming- 
baths,  etc.,  and  for  the  application  also  of  electro- 
therapy. Milk  and  whey  cures  are  available,  cows 
and  goats  being  fed  in  a  special  manner  for  the 
purpose  ;  and  the  grape-cure  is  introduced  in 
the  autumn.  This  is  particularly  recommended  as 
an  "  after-cure,"  after  a  course  of  the  waters.  Wies- 
baden is  also  well  supplied  with  special  medical  skill 
in  the  shape  of  oculists,  aurists,  dentists,  etc.,  so 
that  it  forms  a  sort  of  invalids'  compendium  ;  while 
it  lays  claim  to  virtues  as  a  winter  climate  which, 
it  must  be  admitted,  can  scarcely  be  granted  it  as 
a  summer  residence.  Surrounded  on  all  sides  by 
hills,  except  to  the  south,  to  which  it  lies  completely 
exposed,  it  has  the  disadvantage  of  being  very  hot 
in  summer  during  the  daytime  :  the  early  mornings 
and  the  evenings  are,  however,  cool,  for  cold  currents 
of  air  blow  down  into  the  valley  from  the  Taunus 
mountains  after  the  sun  goes  down. 

With  regard  to  the  springs  at  Wiesbaden,  their 
virtues  are  widely  known.  Their  chief  charac- 
teristic is  their  high  temperature,  the  Kochbrunnen 
having  a  temperature  of  150°  F. ;  and  their  chief 
constituent  is,  like  so  many  of  the  neighbouring 
spas,  common  salt.  Out  of  8*20  grammes  of  solid 
ingredients  in  a  litre  of  the  water,  nearly  seven 
consist  of  common  salt.  There  is  nothing  charac- 
teristic in  the  other  ingredients,  which  are  for  the 
most  part  those  generally  found  combined  with  com- 
mon salt  in  other  salt  springs.  There  are  many 
other  springs,  but  the  only  ones  used  for  drinking 
besides  the  Kochbrunnen  are  the  Wilhelmsquelle, 
the  Adlerquelle,  and  the  Schutzenhofquelle. 

In  what  is  known  and  sold  as  Wiesbaden  Gicht- 
wasser,  a  considerable  quantity  of  sodium  bicarbonate 
is  added  to  the  water  of  the  Kochbrunnen.  The  com- 
plaints which  are  said  to  be  especially  benefited  by  the 
Wiesbaden  springs  are  those,  in  the  first  place,  which 
fall  under  the  category  of  chronic  rheumatism, 
chronic  atonic  gout,  and  neuralgia,  old  rheumatic 


374  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  '  [PART  i. 

and  gouty  deposits,  and  thickenings  about  the  joints, 
as  well  as  muscular  rheumatism,  and,  of  neuralgic 
disorders,  sciatica  in  particular.  Cases  of  paralysis 
due  to  chronic  inflammation  of  the  coverings  of  the 
spinal  cord  are  benefited  by  the  hot  baths  ;  so  are 
diseases  of  the  bones,  and  especially  those  resulting 
from  gunshot  injuries.  Chronic  ulcers  of  the  skin 
and  some  forms  of  skin  diseases,  such  as  eczema,  and 
scrofulous  enlargement  of  glands,  are  appropriate  to 
treatment  at  this  spa  as  well  as  at  other  salt  spas. 
Cases  of  protracted  syphilitic  infection  are  treated  at 
Wiesbaden  in  the  same  manner  as  at  Aix  la  Chapelle, 
and  those  of  inflammation  of  the  female  pelvic  organs 
as  at  Kreuznach.  It  is  generally  believed  that  the 
high  temperature  of  the  baths  is  the  chief  special 
influence  which  is  operative  in  the  Wiesbaden  cure, 
but  most  of  the  patients  are  expected  to  drink  the 
water  as  well  as  bathe  in  it ;  and,  regarded  as  a 
drinking  spring,  other  ailments  must  be  added  to 
the  list  of  those  already  named,  chiefly  catarrhal 
conditions  of  the  mucous  membranes — e.g.  chronic 
gastric  catarrh,  chronic  intestinal  catarrh,  and  chronic 
laryngeal  and  bronchial  catarrh;  all  these  are  said 
to  be  amenable  to  cure,  or,  at  any  rate,  to  great 
amelioration,  by  drinking  the  Wiesbaden  waters. 
Inhalation  chambers  are  provided  for  the  treatment 
of  catarrh  of  the  respiratory  passages. 

The  routine  of  drinking  begins  at  6  a.m.,  and 
from  that  hour  till  eight  the  young  women  at  the 
Kochbrunnen  are  busily  engaged  in  supplying  the 
crowd  of  applicants  for  glasses  of  the  steaming  hot 
beverage,  too  hot  to  be  drunk  at  a  draught,  so  that 
it  has  to  be  slowly  sipped  or  allowed  to  cool  a  little 
before  it  can  be  swallowed. 

The  baths  are  taken  either  early  in  the  morning 
or  about  an  hour  after  breakfast ;  patients  are 
required,  according  to  the  case,  to  remain  in  the  bath 
from  twenty  minutes  to  an  hour,  and  a  period  of 
complete  repose  after  the  bath  is  earnestly  enforced. 
The  water  is  much  too  hot  to  be  used  as  a  bath 


SECT.  B.]  WILDBAD.  375 

as  it  issues  from  the  springs,  and  it  is  therefore 
allowed  to  cool  during  the  night,  either  in  the  baths 
themselves  or  in  reservoirs  connected  with  the  bath- 
houses. The  baths  are  mostly  given  in  certain  hotels 
and  bath-houses.  These  are  for  the  most  part  in 
the  neighbourhood  of  the  hot  springs.  It  is  un- 
doubtedly an  immense  convenience,  especially  to 
those  who  are  crippled  by  their  maladies,  to  be  able 
to  get  their  baths  in  the  hotels  they  live  in.  The 
baths  are  taken  in  the  form  of  full  baths  and  douches. 
A  rain  douche  of  moderately  cold  water  must  indeed 
be  an  excellent  method  of  refreshing  the  patient  after 
half  an  hour  in  these  hot  baths. 

In  connection  with  the  hotel  Kaiserhof,  a  very 
complete  new  bath  establishment  has  been  erected, 
the  Augusta  Victoria  Bath,  which  aims  at  provid- 
ing invalids  with  all  the  varied  resources  of  "  physical 
therapeutics."  It  includes  mud  (fango),  hot  sand, 
electric,  medicated,  and  Turkish  baths,  Swedish 
gymnastics,  inhalations,  pneumatic  chambers,  etc. 

The  period  of  the  cure  must  not  be  circumscribed 
by  a  hard  and  fast  line.  The  typical  twenty-one 
baths  must  often  be  extended  to  perhaps  twice  that 
number.  The  environs  of  Wiesbaden  are  exceedingly 
agreeable,  and  many  beautiful  walks  and  drives  may 
be  taken  through  the  forests  which  cover  the  sur- 
rounding hills.  A  funicular  railway  recently  made  up 
the  Nersberg  provides  easy  access  to  beautiful  views 
and  to  the  fresh  air  of  the  Taunus  forests. 

Wildbad,  in  the  Wiirtemberg  Black  Forest,  is 
the  type  of  indifferent  thermal  waters,  or,  as  they 
are  termed  in  Germany,  Wildbader.  It  lies  in 
the  narrow  but  beautiful  valley  of  the  Enz,  at  an 
altitude  of  1,400  feet.  The  river  Enz  runs  through 
the  little  town,  and  there  are  pleasant  walks  in 
the  grounds  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  as  well  as 
in  some  gardens  about  a  mile  from  the  town.  There 
are  also  steep  zigzag  walks  up  the  wooded  slopes 
of  the  valley.  The  climate  is  mildly  bracing,  and 


376  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PARF  i. 

though  it  may  be  hot  at  midday  the  nights  are 
usually  cool. 

The  temperature  of  the  hot  springs,  which  are 
numerous,  ranges  between  92°  and  104°  F.  Most 
of  the  springs  are  alike  in  being  very  feebly 
mineralised,  containing  minute  amounts  of  sodium 
salts,  chloride,  sulphate,  and  bicarbonate,  and  a 
little  lime.  The  springs  chiefly  used  for  drinking 
are  the  Eberhardsbrunnen  and  the  Konigsbrunnen. 
The  waters  of  other  spas  are  often  drunk  at  Wild- 
bad  when  an  active  water  is  required. 

The  characteristic  bath — the  Wildbad — given 
there  is  an  ordinary  thermal  bath,  the  water  of 
which  bubbles  up  through  a  sandy  floor,  and  by 
means  of  an  overflow  pipe  is  also  continually 
running  off,  like  the  French  bath  a  lean  courant. 
In  this  way  the  temperature  of  the  bath  is  main- 
tained constant. 

Other  mineral  baths  are  also  provided — cold 
and  hot— as  well  as  hot  air  and  vapour  baths, 
douches,  electric  baths,  and  Swedish  gymnastics, 
with  Zander's  appliances. 

All  the  bathing  arrangements  are  commodious 
and  even  luxurious. 

The  diseases  suitable  for  treatment  at  Wildbad 
are  such  as  are  sent  to  other  simple  thermal  spas. 
They  are  cases  of  gouty  and  rheumatoid  arthritis 
in  debilitated  subjects,  and  stiff  joints,  the  result 
of  injury ;  cases  of  retarded  convalescence  from 
acute  disease,  functional  nervous  disorders,  and 
even  organic  nervous  affections  at  an  early  stage, 
hysteria,  hypochondria  in  irritable  subjects  requiring 
reposeful  surroundings,  neurasthenia,  old  hemiplegias 
or  paraplegias,  cases  of  over-work,  combined  with 
general  debility,  and  needing  rest  in  a  moderately 
bracing  and  sedative  climate.  Pleasant  walks  and 
drives  of  almost  any  distance  can  be  taken  in  the 
surrounding  forests.  The  season  is  from  May  ist 
to  the  end  of  September. 

The    railway    station    is    the   terminus    of   the 


SECT.  B.]  WILDUNGEN.  377 

Pforzheim  -  Wildbad    line ;     the    usual    route   from 
London  being  Cologne,  Carlsruhe,  Pforzheim. 

Wildungen,  in  the  principality  of  Waldeck- 
Pyrmont,  Germany,  represents  in  that  country  the 
type  of  bath  of  which  Contrexeville  is  the  chief 
representative  in  France.  Its  springs  are  classed 
amongst  the  earthy  or  calcareous  waters.  Wildun- 
gen is  pleasantly  situated  at  an  altitude  of  nearly 
1,000  feet,  in  an  open  valley,  sheltered  to  some 
extent  from  cold  winds,  and  can  be  reached  from 
Cassel  in  two  hours  by  the  Wildungen-Wabern 
branch  line.  The  Bad,  with  its  hotels  and  villas, 
is  at  the  western  part  of  the  town,  and  it  has  shady 
woods  close  at  hand,  affording  every  attraction  for 
out-of-door  exercise.  The  three  springs  most  re- 
sorted to  are  the  George- Victorquelle,  the  Helenen- 
quelle,  and  the  Konigsquelle.  The  water  of  these 
springs  is  cold  and  gaseous,  and  contains  chiefly 
calcium  and  magnesium  bicarbonate  (0-5  to  1-3 
grammes  per  litre),  and  some  bicarbonate  of  iron 
(0*018  to  0*036). 

The  George- Victor  is  the  most  feebly  mineralised, 
the  Konigsquelle  contains  the  most  iron,  and  the 
Helenenquelle  a  certain  amount  of  sodium  bicar- 
bonate (0*84),  and  these  two  springs  each  contain 
about  ro  per  litre  of  sodium  chloride,  as  well  as 
calcium  and  magnesium  bicarbonate  in  about  the 
same  proportion. 

Other  springs  occasionally  drunk  at  Wildungen 
are  the  Thalquelle,  an  earthy,  chalybeate  water, 
and  the  Stahlquelle,  a  gaseous  chalybeate  spring 
rich  in  carbonic  acid  and  containing  0*07  per 
litre  of  bicarbonate  of  iron.  Both  these  springs 
are  at  some  distance  from  the  town,  but  the 
water  of  the  Stahlquelle  and  of  the  Helenen- 
quelle are  supplied  at  the  George- Victorquelle. 

The  bath-house,  where  patients  can  also  reside, 
has  a  spring  of  its  own.  The  Konigsquelle  has  also 
a  bath-house  attached  to  it. 


378  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

The  speciality  of  Wildungen,  as  of  its  French 
rival,  Contrexeville,  is  the  treatment  of  maladies  of 
the  urinary  organs,  such  as  calculous  patients,  renal 
or  vesical,  cases  of  chronic  pyelitis  and  cystitis, 
cases  of  prostatic  hypertrophy  and  its  sequelae,  cases 
of  uric  acid  gravel  and  irritative  albuminuria. 

Naturally  the  majority  of  the  patients  are  men, 
but  women  are  also  treated  there  when  they  suffer 
from  gravel,  or  vesical  irritability  from  other 
causes. 

The  waters  are  usually  taken  in  the  morning 
fasting,  often  again  before  the  midday  meal,  and 
occasionally  in  the  afternoon  also.  It  is  a  usual 
practice  to  warm  the  water  before  drinking.  Mixing 
a  little  hot  whey  or  milk  with  it  renders  it  more 
digestible  and  more  agreeable  to  some  patients. 

Only  a  certain  section  of  the  patients  are  ordered 
to  take  baths,  usually  those  with  renal  (uric  acid) 
calculi  or  gravel,  which  are  given  at  a  temperature 
varying  from  80°  to  100°  F. 

The  Helenenquelle,  on  account  of  its  greater 
alkalinity,  is  usually  prescribed  in  cases  of  great 
bladder  irritability,  with  acid  urine,  and  it  is  often 
prescribed  at  the  commencement  of  the  course, 
because  it  is  more  readily  tolerated  by  the  stomach. 
The  George-Victorquelle  is  thought  more  suitable 
when  there  is  much  vesical  catarrh  with  alkaline, 
phosphatic  urine.  The  Stahlquelle  is  a  useful 
resource  in  anaemic  cases. 

The  diet  in  the  hotels  is  regulated  to  the  require- 
ments of  the  cases  treated  there ;  rich  and  highly 
seasoned  dishes  are  avoided,  beer  is  prohibited,  and 
sweets  and  wine  or  spirits  are  only  allowed  in  great 
moderation. 

Wildungen  has  been  termed  a  surgical  spa, 
which  is  a  tribute  to  the  surgical  skill  of  its 
medical  men.  Surgical  methods  of  treatment  are 
frequently  called  for  and  practised,  as  lithotrity, 
division  or  dilatation  of  urethral  structures,  etc. 
It  is  maintained  that  the  use  of  these  waters  often 


SECT.  B.]  WOODHALL    SPA.  379 

induces  a  condition  favourable  to  operative  methods. 
Few  other  patients  than  those  enumerated  seek 
relief  from  their  maladies  at  Wildungen,  yet  the 
alkaline  Helenenquelle  is  well  adapted  to  the 
treatment  of  chronic  bronchial  catarrh  and  certain 
forms  of  dyspepsia,  which,  moreover,  could  not  fail 
to  be  benefited  by  the  tonic  air  of  the  forests  and 
the  wholesome  diet. 

Though  this  spa  is  open  to  patients  all  through 
the  year,  the  season  generally  chosen  for  a  cure 
there  is  between  May  loth  and  Sept.  25th. 

Woodhall  Spa,  near  Horncastle,  Lincolnshire, 
37  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  has  acquired  a 
great  reputation  on  account  of  its  so-called  bromo- 
iodine  spring.  Woodhall  is  situated  in  an  elevated 
part  of  Lincolnshire,  twenty-three  miles  due  west  of 
the  coast.  Its  subsoil  is  dry  sand  with  iron  stone, 
and  the  climate  is  dry  and  invigorating.  The  country 
around  is  wooded  and  agreeable.  Woodhall  Spa  is  near 
enough  to  the  sea  to  be  influenced  by  the  sea  breezes. 
It  is  in  a  part  of  England  which  has  the  smallest 
annual  rainfall — not  much  more  than  twenty  inches. 

The  hotel  accommodation  is  good,  and  com- 
fortable lodging-houses  near  the  baths  can  be  found. 
The  water  supply  is  good,  being  brought  from  the 
Wolds,  fifteen  miles  off. 

Dr.  Frankland,  in  his  analysis  of  this  water 
(1891),  found  that  it  contained  per  litre  19*5  sodium 
chloride,  1*27  calcium  chloride,  1-114  magnesium 
chloride,  0*0635  of  sodium  and  potassium  bromide 
together,  and  0*0075  of  potassium  iodide,  and  no  free 
iodine  and  no  arsenic.  The  Woodhall  Spa  water  is 
therefore  a  moderately  strong  common  salt  water 
with  small  amounts  of  bromides  and  iodides.  Its 
temperature  is  56°  F. 

The  water  when  drawn  from  the  well  was  found 
by  Frankland  to  be  very  turbid,  and  on  long  standing 
to  deposit  reddish  matter  consisting  almost  entirely 
of  hydrated  peroxide  of  iron. 


380  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

A  Mutterlauge,  or  "  mother  lye/'  is  also  prepared 
here  by  evaporation  of  the  salt  water,  as  at  other 
common  salt  spas  on  the  Continent,  and  is  used  for 
local  compresses  and  for  fortifying  the  baths. 

Although  the  amount  of  bromides  and  iodides 
may  appear  small,  it  must  be  remembered  that  in 
the  large  bulk  of  water  required  to  make  a  full  bath 
the  total  amount  of  these  compounds  would  assume 
a  very  respectable  figure,  and  as  there  seems  to  be 
little  doubt  that  iodine  compounds,  at  any  rate,  can 
be  absorbed  by  the  skin,  under  favourable  conditions, 
it  may  be  concluded  that  this  is  the  case  in  connection 
with  treatment  at  Woodhall. 

These  waters  are  applied  in  various  ways  at  the 
spa — as  full  and  partial  baths,  as  douches,  with  or 
without  Aix  massage,  as  uterine  and  vaginal  in- 
jections, vapour  baths,  and  as  sprays  for  inhalation 
and  irrigation  in  chronic  nasal,  pharyngeal,  and 
laryngeal  catarrhs. 

The  diseases  which  have  been  found  especially 
benefited  by  treatment  at  Woodhall  are  the  follow- 
ing :  rheumatism  and  gout,  chronic  rheumatoid 
arthritis,  chronic  catarrhal  states  of  the  mucous 
membranes,  respiratory  and  genito-urinary,  uterine 
and  vaginal  leucorrhcea,  functional  hepatic  dis- 
orders, biliousness,  scrofulous  and  syphilitic  affections 
of  the  skin,  bones,  and  joints,  chronic  periuterine 
inflammatory  exudations,  and  fibroid  tumours  of  the 
uterus. 

Woodhall  Spa  is  about  four  hours  from  London, 
and  the  spa  is  open  all  the  year  round,  but  the 
summer  and  autumn  months  are  the  most  favourable 
for  the  cure. 


Warasdin-Teplitz,    in    Croatia,    |       Warmbad,    near    Wolkenstein, 


at  an  altitude  of  920  feet,  three 
hours  from  the  railway  station  of 
Csakathurn,  has  weakly  mineral- 
ised thermal  sulphur  waters,  tem- 
perature 136°  F.,  said  to  be  the 
Aquae  Jasae  of  the  Romans. 


in  the  Erz  Mountains,  Saxony  — 
railway  station,  Flossplatz,  on  the 
Chemnitz- Weipert  line — lies  at  an 
elevation  of  about  1,500  feet,  in  a 
well-wooded  branch  valley  of  the 
Zoschopau,  and  has  simple  thermal 


SECT.    B.J 


WA  RMBR  UNN—ZA IZON, 


waters  (temperature  about  80°  F.), 
containing  a  little  sodium  chloride 
and  carbonate.  They  are  used 
for  drinking  and  for  baths  and 
douches  in  cases  of  nervous  affec- 
tions, rheumatism,  gout,  gastro- 
intestinal and  female  complaints. 
Season,  May  i  to  Oct.  i. 

Warmbrunn,  on  the  northern 
slope  of  the  Riesengebirge,  in 
Prussian  Silesia,  at  an  elevation 
of  about  1,100  feet,  railway  station 
on  the  Hirschberg-Petersdorf  line 
(it  also  has  electric  railway  to 
Hirschberg),  is  a  summer  resort, 
and  has  several  simple  thermal 
springs  with  temperatures  varying 
from  77°  to  109°  F.,  containing  a 
little  sodium  sulphate  and  car- 
bonate. They  are  used  for 
drinking  and  for  baths.  There  is 
also  a  swimming  bath.  A  chaly- 
beate spring  is  likewise  used 
there,  the  Victoriaquelle.  Mud, 
carbonic  acid,  and  electric  baths, 
hydrotherapy  and  massage  are 
also  available.  The  season  is  from 
May  i  to  Oct.  i. 

Werl,  a  small  brine  bath  in 
Westphalia. 

Werne,  a  thermal  brine  bath  in 
Westphalia. 

Wildegg,  in  the  valley  of  the  Aar , 
Switzerland,  about  two  and  a-half 
miles  from  Schinznach,  has  a 
cold  spring  f  belonging  to  the 
common  salt  group,  but  containing 
sodium  iodide  and  bromide, 
together  amounting  to  0-041  per 
litre,  in  addition  to  sodium 
chloride  10  grammes,  magnesium 
chloride  i'6,  and  calcium  sulphate 
1-8.  It  is  made  use  of  at  the 
neighbouring  spa  of  Schinznach 
in  scrofulous  diseases,  and  is 
exported. 


Wimpfen,  on  the  Neckar,  has 
brine  baths,  the  brine  coming  from 
the  Ludwigs  -  hable  salt  works. 
Franzensbad  Moor  baths,  pine- 
needle  baths,  and  hydrotherapy 
are  also  available.  Railway  station 
I  on  the  Heidelberg-Jagstfeld  line. 

Wipfeld,    in  Lower  Franconia, 
!   Bavaria,      has       cold      calcareous 
|  springs,     one      of     which,     the 
Ludwigsquelle,    is     strongly    sul- 
phurous.     It   contains  i   gramme 
per    litre     of    calcium    sulphate 
and     24    volumes     of     H2S.      It 
i  has  also  weak  chalybeate  springs. 
The   sulphur   water    is   used    for 
drinking   and   for   preparing   sul- 
i  phur  mud-baths  ;  gout  and  rheu- 
I  matism  are  the  maladies  especially 
i  treated. 

Wittekind,  a  common  salt  water, 
near  the  University  town  of  Halle, 
in  Saxony  ;  also  a  sanatorium. 
The  water  is  aerated  with  car- 
bonic acid  for  drinking  and 
exportation,  and  is  strengthened 
with  Mutter lauge,  or  bath  salt,  for 
bathing.  It  contains  35  grammes 
per  litre  of  common  salt. 

Yverdon,  Canton  Vaud,  Switzer- 
land,     on      the      line      between 
Lausanne     and     Neuchatel,    has 
j   feebly    mineralised   warm   sulphur 
\  waters  containing  3-4  volumes  per 
j  litre  of  H2S.      The  bath  establish- 
ment is   well  equipped  for  treat- 
ment by  pulverisation  and  inhala- 
tion, douches,  massage,  etc. 

Zaizon,  in  Transylvania,  at  an 
altitude  of  2,600  feet,  has  a  -a'cak 
gaseous  alkaline  common  salt  spring, 
having  sodium  bicarbonate  1-3 
and  chloride  o-6  per  litre.  It 
has  also  a  weak  chalybeate  water. 
It  is  frequented  by  women  and 
children  chiefly. 


SECTION    C. 

THE    APPLICATION    OF    MINERAL    WATERS 

AND  BATHS  TO  THE    ALLEVIATION  AND 

CURE   OF   DISEASE. 

IT  is  exclusively  in  the  treatment  of  chronic  disease 
that  courses  of  mineral  waters  and  baths  are  applic- 
able, and  such  courses  are  most  commonly  resorted 
to  when  other  remedial  measures  and  methods  of 
treatment  have  failed  to  bring  the  needed  relief.  In 
the  term  "  chronic "  we  include  those  conditions  of 
debility,  retarded  convalescence,  and  other  deviations 
from  health  which  appear  as  sequelce  of  acute 
affections. 

COUNTER-INDICATIONS. 

But  there  are  certain  forms  and  conditions,  even  of 
chronic  disease,  in  which  mineral-water  treatment  is 
counter-indicated.  It  is  customary  in  the  descriptions 
of  different  mineral  springs,  after  mentioning  the 
various  morbid  conditions  in  which  their  use  is  indi- 
cated, to  mention  also  the  "  counter-indications "  to 
their  use.  In  these  counter-indications  there  is  a 
remarkable  uniformity,  and  we  find  the  majority  of 
them  are  of  general  application.  We  have,  therefore, 
in  the  foregoing  descriptions,  in  order  to  avoid  fre- 
quent repetition,  omitted,  for  the  most  part,  any 
reference  to  counter-indications.  We  propose,  how- 
ever, to  mention  these  now,  first,  as  applying  to  the 
use  of  mineral  waters  and  baths  generally,  and 
second,  as  applying  to  particular  groups  of  spas. 

At  one  period,  and  that  not  very  long  ago,  it 
was  customary  to  include  all  forms  of  organic  heart 
disease  amongst  the  cases  counter-indicated  gener- 
ally in  mineral-water  courses.  At  present  the 
tendency  is  to  the  opposite  extreme,  and  nearly 


SECT,  c.j          COUNTER-INDICATIONS.  383 

every  spa  claims  to  be  suitable  and  beneficial  in  the 
treatment  of  certain  forms  of  cardiac  disease.  This 
question  will  be  considered  later  on,  but  it  may  be 
now  stated  that  the  physicians,  at  nearly  all  spas, 
regard  advanced  cardiac  disease,  and  incompletely 
compensated  valvular  lesions,  as  amongst  the  counter- 
indications.  Advanced  arterio-sclerosis  is  universally 
counter-indicated,  so  are  all  forms  of  malignant  and 
serious  organic  visceral  disease.  Advanced  hepatic 
and  renal  cirrhosis  are  generally  counter-indicated,  so 
are  all  advanced  and  febrile  and  cachectic  forms  of 
pulmonary  tuberculosis  and  all  cases  with  a  tendency 
to  haemoptysis,  and,  indeed,  all  maladies  with  a  dis- 
position to  internal  haemorrhage.  Cases  of  grave 
diabetes  with  great  emaciation,  all  forms  of  advanced 
renal  degeneration  with  renal  inadequacy,  aneurisms, 
cases  of  true  angina  pectoris,  are  all  uniformly  regarded 
as  unsuitable  to  treatment  by  baths  and  waters.  Grave 
and  recent  affections'  of  the  central  nervous  system, 
epilepsy,  cases  of  great  nervous  depression,  and  old, 
confirmed  cases  of  paralysis,  with  chronic  contractures 
and  atrophied  muscles,  incapable  of  responding  to 
electrical  excitation,  are  counter-indicated.  Maladies 
complicated  with  pregnancy  are  unsuited  to  thermal 
treatment. 

Besides  these  general  counter-indications,  we  may 
point  out  some  special  ones.*  In  some  of  the  sodium 
chloride  springs  (Salins  du  Jura,  Santenay,  Chatel- 
guyon),  cases  of  acid  dyspepsia,  of  diarrhoea,  of  pro- 
found nervous  debility,  of  irritable  neurasthenia,  of 
advanced  age  are  counter-indicated  ;  and  those  of 
the  same  group  that  contain  iodine  are  unsuited 
to  the  anaemic  and  cachectic  and  to  states  of  chronic 
inflammation  of  the  digestive  organs.  At  La 
Mouillere  the  asthmatic  and  emphysematous  are 
objected  to.  The  class  of  purgative  "  bitter  waters  " 
are  obviously  counter-indicated  in  catarrhal  affections 
of  the  stomach  and  intestines  with  diarrhoea. 

*  As  testified  to  by  resident  physicians. 


384  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

In  the  group  of  earthy  calcareous  waters  (Con- 
trexeville,  Vittel,  Martigny,  Capvern)  the  following 
cases  have  been  classed  amongst  the  counter-indica- 
tions :  much  gastric  dilatation,  gastric  hyperacidity, 
great  irritability  of  bladder,  great  prostatic  hyper- 
trophy with  retention  and  stagnation  of  urine,  tight 
urethral  stricture,  vesical  calculus,  advanced 
pyelitis,  with  much  albumen  in  the  urine.  At 
Contrexeville  it  is  insisted  upon  that  the  gouty  should 
not  come  until  at  least  a  month  has  elapsed  since  an 
acute  attack.  At  Martigny  the  presence  of  gall- 
stones is  mentioned  as  a  counter-indication.  Evian 
objects  to  cases  of  considerable  gastric  dilatation  ; 
La  Malou  to  all  skin  affections.  Royat  declines  the 
scrofulous,  the  tuberculous,  and  the  plethoric. 

Amongst  the  sulphur  baths,  Aix  les  Bains  finds 
the  following  counter-indicated :  acute  attacks  of  gout 
and  rheumatism,  old  prostatic  cases  with  partial 
retention,  hepatic  and  renal  calculi,  uterine  fibromata, 
with  tendency  to  haemorrhage,  exaggerated  neuroses 
and  advanced  age.  Bareges  objects  to  gout  in  all  its 
forms ;  Cauterets,  to  rheumatoid  arthritis,  hepatic 
and  renal  colic,  uric  acid  gravel,  gouty  dyspepsia 
and  obstinate  constipation ;  linage  (sulphur  and 
sodium  chloride)  counter-indicates  the  plethoric, 
hepatic,  renal,  vesical,  and  prostatic  affections  and 
gastric  disorders,  except  atonic  cases  with  constipa- 
tion ;  also  hysteria  and  recent  chorea. 

Speaking  more  generally,  sulphur  waters  are 
counter-indicated  by  Continental  physicians  in  all 
cases  of  greatly  enfeebled  digestion,  in  cases  of  pro- 
found anaemia,  in  functional  cardiao  disturbances  and 
cardiac  irritability,  the  latter  often  arising  while 
drinking  sulphur  waters. 

It  is  not  a  matter  of  importance  what  order  we 
follow  in  considering  the  application  of  mineral 
springs  to  the  treatment  of  various  maladies,  but  we 
propose  to  follow  the  usual  course,  and  to  deal  first 
with  what  are  known  as  "  constitutional  "  affections 


SECT,  c.]       ANEMIA    AND    CHLOROSIS.  385 

and  afterwards  with  the  chronic  disorders  of  particular 
organs.  Some  include  rheumatic  affections  under 
"  constitutional "  diseases,  as  we  propose  to  do,  others 
treat  of  them  as  "  diseases  of  the  joints  "  ;  it  is  of 
little  practical  importance  which  view  is  adopted. 


ANEMIA    AND    CHLOROSIS. 

In  bloodless  conditions,  however  induced,  whether 
from  profuse  or  continued  loss  of  blood,  or  from  the 
functional  exhaustion  following  attacks  of  acute 
disease  with  retarded  convalescence,  or  associated 
with  the  developmental  and  menstrual  troubles  of 
puberty  in  females,  or  as  the  consequence  of  chronic 
disturbance  of  the  nutritive  functions  connected  with 
some  chronic  malady — in  most  such  cases  we  may 
often  be  able  to  promote  haemogenesis,  or  blood  re- 
storation, by  prescribing  a  course  of  natural  chalybeate 
water,  associated  with  the  stimulating  gaseous  iron 
baths  usually  administered  at  such  spas. 

But  the  success  attending  such  a  course  will 
depend  very  greatly  on  the  choice  of  a  suitable 
resort,  where,  besides  the  presence  of  a  tonic  iron 
spring,  the  patient  will  find  the  climatic,  dietetic, 
social,  and  other  conditions  calculated  to  improve 
nutrition  and  adapted  to  the  special  circumstances 
affecting  each  individual. 

We  are  more  especially  prone  to  advise  a  course 
of  chalybeate  waters  in  the  case  of  those  patients 
who  have  presented  difficulties  in  the  digestion  and 
assimilation  of  ordinary  iron  tonics.  Every  prac- 
titioner is  familiar  with  these  cases,  in  which  all 
attempts  at  tonic  treatment,  with  ferruginous  and 
other  drugs,  are  attended  with  little  or  no  improve- 
ment, and  it  is  precisely  in  these  instances  that  we 
find  recourse  to  some  Continental  iron  spring,  in  a 
cheerful  and  bracing  locality,  succeeds  as  a  blood 
restorative  after  all  home  treatment  has  failed. 

It  is  generally  admitted  that  one  of  the  most 
readily  assimilable  forms  of  iron  is  the  bicarbonate, 


386  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

and  when  this  is  held  in  solution  by  the  presence  of 
an  excess  of  free  carbonic  acid,  as  is  the  case  in  the 
best  reputed  chalybeate  springs,  it  rarely  fails  to 
agree  with  the  most  sensitive  patients.  No  doubt 
this  result  is  often  greatly  due  to  the  combined 
soothing  and  stimulating  effect  of  the  free  carbonic 
acid  on  the  gastric  nerves  and  mucous  membrane. 

Nor  should  we  lose  sight  of  the  important  contri- 
butory effect,  on  the  circulation  and  metabolic  activity, 
of  the  gaseous  steel  baths,  and  their  stimulating  effect 
on  the  peripheral  vessels  and  nerves.  In  some  other 
spas,  the  gaseous  common  salt  baths,  and  in  others 
the  ferruginous  peat  baths,  may  prove  even  of  greater 
service,  in  certain  cases,  when  judiciously  applied  and 
supervised. 

In  those  cases  in  which  we  are  simply  concerned 
to  improve  the  blood  condition — to  increase  its  rich- 
ness in  blood  cells  and  haemoglobin — and  in  which 
we  have  no  collateral  morbid  conditions  to  take  into 
account,  the  purest  iron  springs  are  the  most  suitable 
for  our  purpose.  The  most  easily  available  and  best 
suited  to  English  patients,  for  social  and  other 
reasons,  are  Schwalbach,  Spa,  Pyrmont,  and  St. 
Moritz.  Somewhat  similar  waters  are  to  be  found 
at  Konigswart,  near  Marienbad,  Bocklet,  near 
Kissingen,  Imnau,  in  Hohenzollern,  Driburg,  in 
Westphalia,  and  Steben,  in  Upper  Franconia.  The 
Tunbridge  Wells  spring  in  England  has  the  great 
disadvantage  of  containing  very  little  free  carbonic 
acid,  so  that  gaseous  steel  baths  cannot  be  obtained 
there. 

For  those  young  ansemics,  with  torpid  nervous 
systems  and  sluggish  circulation,  who  need  the 
strong  stimulation  of  a  highly  bracing  climate,  a 
course  of  iron  water  at  St.  Moritz,  in  the  Upper 
Engadine,  is  especially  serviceable.  But  for  older 
persons  and  those  who  are  apt  to  be  chilled  by  the 
colder  air,  and  for  those  who  need  physical  rest 
rather  than  active  physical  exercise,  the  lower  resorts, 
such  as  Spa  or  Schwalbach,  are  more  appropriate.  It 


SECT,  c.]       ANEMIA    AND    CHLOROSIS.  387 

is  sometimes  advisable  to  begin  an  iron  cure  at 
Schwalbach,  and  after  a  certain  amount  of  improve- 
ment, in  strength  and  activity,  has  been  gained,  to 
finish  it  at  St.  Moritz,  spending  about  three  weeks 
at  each  place. 

In  cases  complicated  with  gastro-hepatic  disorder, 
constipation,  and  a  tendency  to  haemorrhoids,  and 
in  malarial  cases,  with  splenic  and  hepatic  enlarge- 
ments, it  is  usually  desirable  to  begin  the  treatment 
with  a  saline  chalybeate  containing  some  aperient 
salts,  and  after  the  intestinal  functions  have  been  im- 
proved, a  pure  iron  water  may  be  tolerated  and  prove 
useful.  In  some  of  these  cases  the  sodium  chloride 
and  iron  waters  agree  well,  as  those  of  Homburg 
and  Kissingen  ;  in  others  the  combination  of  sodium 
sulphate  with  iron  answers  better,  as  in  the  springs 
of  Elster,  Franzensbad,  Marienbad,  Tarasp,  Rip- 
poldsau,  or  Petershal. 

It  must  be  recognised  that,  in  all  forms  of  anaemia, 
it  is  of  the  greatest  importance  that  the  nutritive 
changes  should  be  stimulated  and  the  eliminative 
functions  promoted  and  regulated  ;  hence  the  value,  in 
many  cases,  of  waters  which  contain  aperient  con- 
stituents as  well  as  iron,  and  of  gaseous  baths,  or 
gaseous  and  saline  baths,  which  promote  cutaneous 
excretion  and  improve  the  peripheral  and  general 
circulation  by  dilating  the  superficial  capillaries,  and 
so  lowering  vascular  tension.  (Oeynhausen  and 
Nauheim.)  The  application  of  ferruginous  peat 
baths  also  affords  a  powerful  means  of  stimulating 
the  cutaneous  functions  and  promoting  cutaneous 
elimination,  and  they  have  been  found  of  special 
service  in  the  treatment  of  those  forms  of  anaemia  and 
chlorosis  which  are  associated  with  menstrual  dis- 
orders and  affections  of  the  female  pelvic  organs ; 
such  baths  are  provided  at  most  of  the  German 
chalybeate  and  other  spas.  They  are  an  essential 
part  of  the  course  at  Elster,  Marienbad,  Rippoldsau, 
and  many  other  German  resorts. 

Many    cases    of   anaemia,    especially    in    young 


388  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

females,  require,  especially  at  the  beginning  of  an  iron 
cure,  much  physical  rest,  and  the  aim  should  be  to 
combine  the  advantages  of  a  rest  cure  with  those  of 
mineral- water  treatment.  Later  on,  when  a  better 
state  of  health  has  been  established,  physical  exer- 
cise, carefully  graduated  so  as  not  to  over-tax  the 
returning  strength,  may  help  to  confirm  the  cure. 

With  regard  to  the  use  of  the  strong  arsenical  and 
iron  waters  like  those  of  Levico  and  Roncegno,  these 
can  be  taken,  if  it  is  thought  advisable,  at  home  or  at 
some  suitable  home  health  resort,  inland  or  on  the 
sea  coast ;  but  it  is  rarely  desirable  to  undertake 
the  fatigue  and  expense  of  so  long  a  Continental 
journey  solely  for  the  purpose  of  drinking  such  waters 
at  their  source. 

Although  many  of  the  French  mineral  springs 
contain  iron,  and  some  in  considerable  amount 
(Forges  les  Eaux),  none  of  them  are  rich  in  free 
carbonic  acid,  or  of  the  type  of  such  springs  as  Spa 
or  Schwalbach,  and  the  French  physicians  often 
seek  in  other  than  chalybeate  springs  the  treatment 
they  consider  appropriate  to  cases  of  what  they  term 
chloro-anaemia.  They  have  much  faith  in  the  tonic 
and  blood-restoring  influence  of  the  warm  salt  baths 
of  Salins  du  Jura  (mild  mountain  air  being  here  a 
valuable  auxiliary),  Salies  de  Beam,  La  Mouillere, 
and  Bourbonne  les  Bains,  especially  in  the  chloro- 
anaemia  of  adolescence.  They  also  send  anaemics 
to  drink  waters  containing  sodium  chloride  with 
minute  amounts  of  iron  and  arsenic  at  Royat  and 
St.  Nectaire  le  Haut  or  Luxeuil — the  latter  having 
also  a  little  manganese.  To  the  warm  springs  of 
La  Malou,  containing  very  small  amounts  of  iron 
and  arsenic,  they  send  neuralgic  anaemics.  La 
Bourboule,  with  a  water  rich  in  sodium  arsenate  and 
containing  also  sodium  chloride  and  carbonate,  and  a 
bracing  mountain  climate,  is  a  favourite  resort  for  some 
forms  of  anaemia.  The  French  physicians  lay  much 
stress  on  the  resemblance  between  these  alkaline 
sodium  chloride  waters  and  blood  serum. 


SECT,  c.]      SCROFULA    AND    TUBERCLE.  389 

Bussang,  in  the  Vosges,  serves  as  an  excellent 
"  after-cure  "  in  these  cases,  with  its  pleasant  gaseous 
spring,  containing  minute  amounts  of  arsenate  of 
iron,  and  its  mild  mountain  air.  All  these  anaemic 
cases  require  as  long  an  "  after-cure  "  as  possible— pre- 
ferably in  a  bracing  mountain  resort,  or  a  suitable 
seaside  station. 


SCROFULA    AND    TUBERCLE. 

The  close  relationship,  if  not  identity,  of  the 
morbid  processes  known  as  scrofulous  or  strumous 
with  tuberculosis  is  now  generally  admitted,  although 
the  scrofulous  affections  are  prone  to  run  a  more 
languid  and  torpid  course,  and  are,  no  doubt,  less 
actively  infective  than  some  other  forms  of 
tuberculosis. 

Those  "  scrofulous  "  affections  of  the  lymphatic 
glands,  of  the  joints,  bones,  skin  and  mucous  mem- 
branes, of  such  frequent  occurrence  amongst  poor  and 
"  delicate  "  children,  have  usually  been  regarded  by 
authorities  on  balneo-therapeutics  as  suitable  for 
treatment  at  certain  mineral  springs,  more  parti- 
cularly at  the  common  salt  baths,  and  especially 
at  those  containing,  besides  large  amounts  of  sodium 
chloride,  compounds  also  of  iodine  and  bromine.  In 
this  country  (when  such  disease  is  not  best  treated 
by  surgical  methods,  or  after  such  interference),  with 
our  extended  sea-board  and  abundance  of  seaside 
resorts  with  every  kind  and  variety  of  accommoda- 
tion, the  superior  attractions  and  better  results 
obtained  from  sea- water  baths  and  sea-air  are 
generally  recognised,  but  in  the  inland  districts  of 
the  Continent  of  Europe,  remote  from  the  sea,  the 
usefulness  of  certain  mineral  springs  in  the  treatment 
of  scrofulous  manifestations  is  widely  accepted. 

The  French  physicians  who  make  use  largely  of 
the  term  "  lymphatism "  to  express  the  existence 
of  a  constitutional  tendency  to  glandular  enlarge- 
ments, advocate  the  treatment  of  such  tendencies, 


390  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

as  well  as  of  declared  "  scrofulous "  manifestations, 
not  only  by  sodium  chloride  waters  and  "  brine " 
baths,  as  at  La  Mouillere,  Salins  de  Jura,  Salies  de 
Beam,  Salins  Moutiers,  Bourbonne  les  Bains,  etc., 
but  also  by  the  stronger  sulphur  waters  such  as 
Luchon,  Bareges,  etc.,  or  the  springs  containing  both 
sodium  chloride  and  sulphur,  as  Uriage,  which  has 
been  described  as  "  a  veritable  sulphurous  sea-bath 
in  the  mountains."  The  saline  and  arsenical  water 
of  La  Bourboule  is  also  prescribed  in  the  same  cases, 
and  it  is  maintained  that  there  are  cases  of  scrofulous 
disease  in  which  sea  air  proves  too  exciting,  and  which 
do  better  under  the  calming  but  tonic  influence  of 
mild  mountain  air  which  can  be  obtained  at  most  of 
these  spas. 

If  we  wish  to  carry  out  this  method  of  treatment 
in  England,  we  have  many  suitable  resorts.  The 
bromo-iodine  and  sodium  chloride  spring  of  Wood- 
hall  Spa  has  a  well  established  reputation  for  the 
treatment  of  these  affections.  The  brine  baths  of 
Droitwich  and  Nantwich,  the  sodium  chloride  and 
sulphur  springs  of  H arrogate,  may  be  applied  in  the 
same  class  of  cases.  In  Germany  and  Austria  there 
are  many  baths  having  a  like  renown,  such  as 
Kreuznach,  Aussee  (Styria),  Hall  (Upper  Austria), 
Baden-Baden,  Krankenheil-Tolz  (Bavaria),  and 
others.  Wildegg,  in  Switzerland,  and  Salso  Maggiore, 
in  Italy,  belong  to  the  same  group. 

It  is  believed  that  the  drinking  of  mild  sodium 
chloride  water  increases  albuminoid  metabolisrA, 
while  the  brine  baths,  and  other  external  appliances, 
exert  a  stimulating  local  effect,  and  those  containing 
iodine  and  bromine  promote  absorption  of  glandular 
infiltrations. 


PULMONARY    TUBERCULOSIS. 

With  regard  to  pulmonary  tuberculosis,  the 
climatic  and  sanatorium  treatment  of  this  affection 
will  be  considered  in  the  second  part  of  this  work, 


SECT,  c.]      PULMONARY    TUBERCULOSIS.  391 

and  we  shall  only,  here,  refer  briefly  to  those  mineral- 
water  resorts  that  have  a  time-honoured  reputation 
in  the  treatment  of  certain  forms  of  this  malady. 
The  success  that  has  attended  the  "  open-air  "  treat- 
ment of  phthisis,  in  suitable  and  well  arranged 
sanatoria,  has  greatly  diminished  the  interest  that  was 
at  one  time  taken  in  the  treatment  of  these  cases 
by  mineral  waters. 

The  mild  sodium  chloride  waters  (Soden)  and  the 
alkaline  sodium  chloride  waters  (Ems,  Gleichenberg 
in  Styria,  Obersalzbrunn  in  Silesia)  have  been 
found  useful  in  relieving  the  catarrhal  symptoms 
associated  with  chronic,  quiescent,  torpid  forms  of 
phthisis ;  Ems  enjoyed  at  one  time  a  considerable 
reputation  in  this  respect,  but  its  somewhat  relaxing 
climate  is  now  generally  regarded  as  unsuited  to  cases 
of  phthisis. 

Weissenburg,  near  Thun,  in  Switzerland,  with 
warm  weakly  mineralised  calcareous  springs,  in  a 
sheltered  position  in  a  pine  forest,  at  an  elevation 
of  nearly  3,000  feet,  owes  its  reputation,  in  the 
treatment  of  early  apyretic  forms  of  phthisis,  probably 
quite  as  much  to  its  favourable  subalpine  situation 
as  to  its  mineral  waters. 

In  France  the  arsenical  springs  of  La  Bourboule 
and  Mt.  Dore,  and  certain  of  the  sulphur  springs  in 
the  Pyrenees  especially,  enjoy  the  reputation  of 
being  of  value  in  the  treatment  of  certain  forms  of 
pulmonary  tuberculosis. 

It  is  most  probable  that  this  reputation  rests 
partly  on  the  anti-catarrh al  action  of  these  waters, 
and  partly  on  the  favourable  hygienic  and  climatic 
influence,  to  which  the  patients  are  submitted  in 
those  stations,  most  of  which  are  situated  in 
salubrious  mountainous  districts,  and  at  moderate 
elevations.  The  suggestion  put  forward  at  one  time 
that  the  sulphur  components  in  these  springs, 
especially  sulphuretted  hydrogen,  exercised  an  anti- 
bactericidal  effect,  has  not  been  sustained. 

It  seems  clear  that  in  so  chronic  and  progressive 


392  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

an  affection  as  pulmonary  tuberculosis,  a  mere 
course  of  mineral  water,  of  three  to  six  weeks' 
duration,  could  exert  but  little  curative  effect, 
although  it  might  be  of  service,  combined  with  other 
measures,  in  relieving  certain  symptoms. 

We  can  understand  that  the  tonic  arsenical 
water  of  La  Bourboule,  combining  also  anti- 
catarrh  al  effects  (from  its  relationship  to  the  alka- 
line sodium  chloride  springs)  with  bracing  mountain 
air,  may  have  a  remedial  influence  in  the  cases  for 
which  it  is  deemed  appropriate — those,  according  to 
the  local  physicians,  are  the  "  pre-tuberculous,"  or 
cases  in  the  first  stage  of  the  disease,  and  even  more 
advanced  cases  when  "  torpid  and  of  slow  evolution." 

Those  Pyrenean  spas  which  have  been  especially 
recommended  in  the  treatment  of  this  disease  are 
all  of  them  situated  in  mountainous  districts,  and  most 
of  them  at  an  elevation  of  2,000  to  3,000  feet :  Ax 
les  Thermes  (over  2,000),  Eaux  Bonnes  (about 
2,300),  Cauterets  (3,000)  ;  Amelie  les  Bains  is  not  so 
high  (900  feet).  Allevard,  in  the  Chambery  district, 
is  also  at  an  elevation  of  about  1,300  and  St. 
Honore,  near  Nevers,  nearly  1,000  feet.  In  all 
these  the  indication  is  for  early,  torpid,  apyretic  cases, 
with  a  fair  amount  of  constitutional  vigour  and 
capacity  of  resistance  to  the  disease.  La  Vernet  (2,300 
feet)  trusts  more  to  its  sanatorium  treatment  than  to  its 
sulphur  springs. 

The  idea  of  sending  young  children  with  rickets 
for  treatment  at  mineral  springs  is  not  a  very 
feasible  one.  Suitable  dietetic  and  tonic  medicinal 
treatment,  in  a  country  or  seaside  home,  seems  far 
more  appropriate. 

SYPHILIS. 

The  treatment  of  constitutional  syphilis  by 
mineral  waters  and  baths,  and  the  manner  in  which 
they  act,  has  been  the  subject  of  much  controversy. 
We  shall  endeavour  to  summarise  briefly  the  views 
now  generally  accepted.  The  idea  that  they  exert 


SECT.  c.J  SYPHILISt  393 

any  specific  effect  is  no  longer  entertained,  but  their 
usefulness,  in  many  cases,  is  not  doubted. 

It  is  believed  by  the  physicians  at  those  spas  in 
which  syphilitics  are  especially  treated,  as  Aix  la 
Chapelle,  Aix  les  Bains,  Luchon,  Bareges,  Uriage 
(combination  of  sulphur  and  sodium  chloride);  etc., 
that  the  sulphur  water  enables  the  patient  to  bear 
much  more  energetic  specific  treatment  than  he 
otherwise  could  ;  and  that  this  is  mainly  due  to  the 
fact  that  the  mineral-water  and  bath  treatment 
increases  metabolic  activity  and  promotes  general 
nutrition.  Not  only  are  mercurial  inunctions  freely 
used — from  two  to  three  drachms  of  mercurial 
ointment  daily — but  hypodermic  injections  of  soluble 
salts  of  mercury,  with  or  without  iodides,  are  fre- 
quently administered.  The  association  of  tonic 
mountain,  or  forest,  air  with  the  thermal  treatment, 
as  at  Bareges,  Luchon,  Uriage,  and  other  resorts,  has 
doubtless  an  excellent  effect  in  cachectic  cases. 

This  has  been  remarked  upon  by  the  physicians 
at  Luchon,  who  maintain,  and  we  believe  rightly,  that 
this  combination  is  a  most  valuable  auxiliary  in  the 
cure  of  syphilis.  At  Uriage,  also,  it  has  been 
observed  that,  in  its  mountain  climate,  the  mineral- 
water  and  bath  treatment,  combined  with  mercurial 
frictions  and  injections  (the  patient  being  able  to 
tolerate  much  larger  doses),  has  proved  of  great  value 
in  some  of  the  most  serious  cases  of  syphilitic  infec- 
tion ;  as  in  the  pre-ataxic  period  of  tabes,  in  cerebral 
syphilis  and  syphilitic  myelitis,  and  in  children  the 
subjects  of  hereditary  syphilis. 

In  such  cases  improved  nutrition,  increase  in 
weight  and  strength,  disappearance  of  anaemia  and 
cachexia,  have  been  observed. 

The  diagnostic  value  of  treatment  by  sulphur 
baths,  in  revealing  the  existence  of  latent  syphilis,  is 
no  longer  generally  admitted. 

To  sum  up,  the  advantage  of  sulphur  spa  treatment 
in  syphilis  is  that  it  offers  a  convenient  opportunity 
for  vigorously  pursuing  specific  treatment,  and  it 

N* 


394  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  l, 

appears  to  favour  the  tolerance  of  large  doses  of 
mercury  and  to  prevent,  or  counteract,  cachectic 
symptoms. 

Some  authorities  think  the  arsenical  waters  of  La 
Bourboule  and  Levico  of  use  in  syphilitic  cases,  and 
others  point  to  the  utility  of  sodium  chloride  waters 
containing  iodine  and  bromine,  in  tertiary  forms  ;  as 
Woodhall,  Kreuznach,  Hall  (Upper  Austria), 
Krankenheil-Tolz,  etc.  Anti-syphilitic  treatment 
is  also  carried  out  successfully  at  Baden-Baden. 

CHRONIC    METALLIC    POISONING. 

Cases  of  chronic  metallic  poisoning  (lead,  mer- 
cury, etc.)  are  benefited  by  treatment  with  sulphur 
\vaters  and  baths — it  is  believed  that  the  elimination 
of  the  poison  by  the  intestines,  kidneys,  and  skin  is 
promoted  by  mild  sulphur  waters  internally,  and 
wrarm  baths.  The  latter  may  be  of  ordinary  water 
or  of  the  indifferent  thermal  class,  and  these  are 
probably  as  useful  as  sulphur  baths.  The  warm 
sodium  sulphate  waters,  such  as  Carlsbad  or  Brides, 
may  be  of  use  in  cases  in  which  stimulation  of  the 
liver  is  especially  indicated. 

GLYCOSURIA  AND  DIABETES. 

We  have  elsewhere  discussed  the  pathology  and 
general  and  dietetic  treatment  of  glycosuria  and 
diabetes  ;  *  we  have  only  in  this  place  to  consider  the 
value  of  mineral  waters  in  the  treatment  of  this  disease. 
We  accept  the  view  that  all  more  or  less  permanent 
forms  of  glycosuria  are  cases  of  diabetes,  and  exclude 
only  those  cases  of  the  occasional  or  temporary  appear- 
ance of  sugar  in  the  urine,  which  occur  in  certain 
persons  from  the  excessive  consumption  of  saccharine 
substances,  which  appear  to  have  no  serious  import, 

*  See  the  Author's  "  Manual  of  Medical  Treatment,"  New  Edi- 
tion, vol.  ii.,  p.  531;  also  "Food  in  Health  and  Disease,"  New 
Edition,  p.  363. 


SECT,  c.]     GLYCOSURIA    AND    DIABETES.  395 

and  which  may  be  termed  cases  of  non-diabetic  or 
alimentary  glycosuria. 

It  will  be  convenient,  and  of  some  practical 
importance,  especially  in  connection  with  the  use  of 
mineral  waters  in  this  disease,  if  we  recognise  three 
forms  of  diabetes.  •  First,  the  slight  cases — to  which 
the  term  diabetes  is  refused  by  some  authorities — 
such  forms  often  occur  in  fat  and  gouty  persons, 
and  the  sugar  disappears  entirely,  or  almost  entirely, 
from  the  urine,  when  carbo-hydrates  are  excluded 
from  their  diet.  Such  persons  are  often  restored  to 
health  by  mineral  water  treatment  and  a  restricted 
dietary,  but  are  apt  to  again  become  glycosuric  on 
the  free  consumption  of  carbo-hydrates.  Secondly, 
the  cases  of  moderate  severity,  of  which  there  may 
be  several  degrees,  in  which  there  is  a  greater  or 
less  diminution  in  the  excretion  of  sugar,  when  a 
rigid  diet  is  enforced ;  but  it  does  not  entirely  dis- 
appear from  the  urine,  and  the  general  S3^mptoms 
also,  although  capable  of  considerable  amelioration 
by  treatment,  are  not  wholly  recovered,  and  become 
aggravated  by  any  deviation  from  a  strict  dietary. 
There  are  differences  of  opinion,  as  we  shall  see,  with 
regard  to  the  utility  of  mineral- water  treatment  in 
this  group  ;  these  cases  are,  moreover,  prone  to  be 
attacked  by  intercurrent  maladies,  as  pneumonia  and 
phthisis,  and  to  pass  into  the  Third  or  grave  form. 
This  form  is  usually  rapidly  assumed  when  diabetes 
attacks  young  persons  ;  in  these  the  glycosuria  is 
maintained,  in  spite  of  the  strictest  dietetic  measures, 
and  the  patients  quickly  pass  into  a  cachectic  state 
and  generally  die  of  diabetic  coma. 

There  is  a  general  agreement,  amongst  all 
authorities,  that  these  grave  cases  are  not  benefited 
by  mineral-water  treatment,  and  even  if  we  are 
desirous  of  trying  the  effect  of  mineral  waters,  it  is 
best  to  do  so  at  home,  and  not  run  the  risk  attending 
a  journey  to  a  foreign  spa ;  as  such  patients  bear  the 
fatigue  of  travel  very  badly,  attacks  of  diabetic  coma 
often  supervening  on  undue  exertion. 


396  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

The  French,  in  considering  the  applicability  of 
mineral-water  treatment  to  diabetics,  divide  them 
into /at  and  thin  diabetics,  or  those  in  which  there  is 
diminished  and  those  in  which  there  is  increased 
nitrogenous  metabolism.  In  the  latter  there  is 
"  azoturia  "  as  well  as  "  glycosuria." 

It  may,  then,  be  accepted  as  a  sound  general  con- 
clusion that  only  diabetics  of  the  first  group  and  the 
more  vigorous  and  chronic  cases  of  the  second 
group  should  be  submitted  to  mineral-water  treat- 
ment. But  French  authorities  are  disposed  to  admit 
a  much  wider  application  of  mineral  water  treatment, 
even  to  somewhat  advanced  cases,  than  German  or 
English  physicians.  The  waters  best  suited  to  the 
treatment  of  diabetes  are  undoubtedly  the  warm 
alkaline  waters  ;  the  simple  alkaline  waters  (Vichy, 
Neuenahr),  the  alkaline  and  mild  sodium  chloride 
waters  (Royat),  the  alkaline  sodium  sulphate  waters 
(Carlsbad),  and  the  alkaline  arsenical  waters  (La 
Bourboule). 

The  three  spas  most  resorted  to  by  diabetics  are 
Carlsbad,  Vichy,  and  Neuenahr.  Carlsbad  is  par- 
ticularly adapted  to  the  fat  and  gouty  diabetic  who 
is  fairly  vigorous;  with  sluggish  hepatic  functions, 
constipation,  and  a  tendency  to  uric  acid  deposits,  and 
perhaps  a  little  albumen  in  the  urine.  The  cold  waters 
of  Marienbad,  with  the  same  composition  as  those  at 
Carlsbad,  have  also  been  found  serviceable  for  obese 
diabetics  with  only  a  small  amount  of  sugar  in  the 
urine. 

Even  thin  diabetics,  beyond  middle  age,  who 
retain  a  fair  amount  of  vigour  and  in  whom  the 
disease  is  very  chronic,  and  who  suffer  from  gouty 
symptoms,  often  gain  advantage  from  Carlsbad.  A 
course  of  four  to  five  weeks  annually  is  desirable,  and 
in  some  cases  good  results  follow  two  courses  in  the 
same  year,  with  three  or  four  months'  interval. 

The  same  kind  of  cases  also  do  well  at  Vichy, 
but  this  course  is  also  applicable  to  a  rather  more 
extensive  group,  comprising  those  in  whom  the 


SECT,  c.]  DIABETES.  397 

constitutional  symptoms  are  somewhat  more  severe, 
with  wasting  and  azoturia.  The  excretion  of  urea  is 
often  observed  to  return  to  the  normal — together 
with  a  diminution  and,  in  recent  cases,  a  disappear- 
ance of  the  sugar  from  the  urine  ;  at  the  same  time 
the  nervous  irritability  and  the  insomnia  are  relieved, 
the  dryness  of  the  mouth  and  throat  are  removed, 
and  exercise  can  be  taken  with  less  fatigue.  The 
cold  alkaline  waters  of  Vals  are  also  useful  in  the 
fat  and  gouty  cases. 

The  warm  mildly  alkaline  and  common  salt 
springs  of  Neuenahr  have  proved  useful  to  a  vast 
number  of  diabetics  ;  they  may  be  prescribed  for 
all  cases  suitable  for  spa  treatment,  and  especially 
for  those  patients  who  are  not  vigorous  enough  to 
be  sent  to  Carlsbad. 

Brides  les  Bains,  in  Savoy,  is  suitable  to  much 
the  same  class  of  cases  as  Carlsbad,  viz.  those  with 
a  tendency  to  hepatic  congestion  and  constipation. 

The  alkaline  arsenical  waters  of  La  Bourboule, 
on  account  of  the  arsenic  they  contain,  should  be 
preferred  in  those  cases  in  which  the  nitrogenous  and 
phosphatic  elimination  is  increased,  and  there  is 
progressive  wasting.  These  waters  are  believed  to 
lessen  tissue  change  and  organic  waste.  They  are 
suited  to  the  thin  chronic  diabetic  who  is  weak  and 
neurotic,  and  who  needs  a  more  tonic  treatment  than 
that  of  Vichy,  the  climate  being  more  suitable  to  such 
cases  ;  but  it  must  not  be  thought  that  they  can  be  of 
service  to  really  cachectic  patients.  Baths  are 
to  be  avoided  in  the  cases  adapted  to  La  Bourboule. 

Contrexeville  has  been  suggested  in  cases  in  which 
glycosuria  alternates  with  attacks  of  uric  acid  gravel. 
It  is  suited  to  what  the  French  term  "  petits 
diabetiques"  gouty  cases  in  which  the  excretion  of 
sugar  does  not  exceed  600  grains  per  diem ;  as  the 
sugar  lessens,  the  tendency  to  uric  acid  gravel 
increases. 

Royat  is  regarded  as  suitable  for  the  more  feeble 
and  anaemic  diabetics. 


398  MINERAL    SPRINGS,  [PART  i. 

In  France  nearly  all  the  sodium  chloride  waters 
are  said  to  be  suitable  for  the  treatment  of  fat 
diabetics.  We  may  mention  the  following  less  well 
known  resorts  :— 

Bourbonne  les  Bains  (sodium  chloride)  in  gouty 
cases  in  which  nitrogenous  elimination  needs  stimula- 
tion. 

Bourbonne  TArchambaut  (weak  alkaline  and 
common  salt)  for  gouty  diabetics  with  tendency  to 
feebleness. 

Chatelguyon  (alkaline  common  salt)  for  fat 
diabetics. 

Le  Boulou,  in  the  Eastern  Pyrenees  (cold 
sodium  carbonate),  said  to  be  efficacious  in  diabetes 
"  in  general." 

Santenay  (sodium  chloride  and  sulphate)  for 
cases  with  defective  nitrogenous  metabolism  accom- 
panied with  nervous  depression. 

Obersalzbrunn,  in  Silesia  (sodium  bicarbonate), 
is  recommended  in  the  same  class  of  cases  as 
Neuenahr. 

In  our  own  country  good  accounts  are  given  of 
the  treatment  of  gouty  diabetics  at  Harrogate  and 
Llandrindod. 

The  combination  of  warm  baths  with  the  drinking 
cure  is  of  service  in  promoting  a  healthy  action  of 
the  skin,  in  many  cases  of  the  fat  and  gouty  type, 
but  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  such  baths  prove 
injurious  to  those  cases  in  which  there  is  marked 
azoturia,  as  they  tend  to  increase  the  tissue  waste, 
and  aggravate  the  emaciation,  and  must  therefore  be 
avoided. 

In  all  cases  in  which  a  mineral-water  cure  is 
found  to  agree,  we  shall  find  a  great  diminution  of 
the  sugar  in  the  urine,  or  its  entire  disappearance,  a 
removal  of  the  thirst  and  dryness  of  the  mouth, 
an  improvement  in  the  general  nutrition  and  ability 
to  assimilate  normally  a  certain  amount  of  carbo- 
hydrates, an  increase  of  weight,  in  the  emaciated,  and 
a  renewed  capacity  for  muscular  exercise.  In  those 


SECT,  c.]  DIABETES.  399 

who  are  too  fat  to  take  much  exercise,  Swedish 
gymnastics  and  massage  may  prove  useful  auxiliaries, 
in  promoting  oxidation  and  a  more  normal  meta- 
bolism. 

It  is  probable  that  much  of  the  benefit  derived 
from  treatment  at  a  well-organised  spa  is  referable 
to  a  well-ordered  diet  and  regimen,  a  cheerful  life, ' 
free  from  care  and  anxiety,  amidst  picturesque  and  - 
healthy  surroundings,  with  a  due  amount  of  out-of- 
door  exercise.  Residence  in  an  establishment  under 
medical  dietetic  supervision  is  a  great  advantage. 
Some  recommend,  in  anaemic  cases,  that  a  course  of 
chalybeate  water  and  baths  at  Schwalbach,  Spa,  or 
Pyrmont  should  succeed  the  treatment  with 
alkaline  waters  ;  an  after  cure  in  some  restful  and 
moderately  bracing  place  is  certainly  desirable. 

The  general  use,  at  home,  of  gaseous  table  waters 
containing  sodium  bicarbonate  and  sodium  chloride 
is  to  be  commended  in  all  cases  of  glycosuria  ;  Vichy 
and  Vals  waters  are  too  alkaline  to  be  drunk  with 
food,  but  may  be  taken  at  bed  time  or  on  rising  in 
the  morning.  Giesshiibel  and  Apollinaris  are  best 
suited  for  table  and  general  use. 

Apollinaris  has  much  the  same  composition  as 
Neuenahr  water,  and  when  mixed  with  a  little  hot 
water  may  be  regarded  as  almost  identical  and 
quite  as  useful  for  home  consumption. 

GOUT    AND    THE    URIC    ACID    DIATHESIS. 

There  is  no  chronic  disease  in  which  recourse  is 
so  commonly  had  to  treatment  by  mineral  springs  as 
gout ;  and  nearly  every  kind  of  mineral  spring  has,  in 
its  turn,  been  advocated  as  a  remedy  for  this  disease. 
The  acute  arthritic  forms  of  gout  are,  of  course, 
altogether  unsuited  to  spa  treatment,  and  it  is  to  the 
various  '  manifestations  of  chronic  gout  that  treat- 
ment by  mineral  waters  is  applicable.  In  all  such 
cases  we  have  mainly  two  things  to  consider  :  (a) 
the  treatment  of  the  general  gouty  state — the 


400  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I. 

disturbances  of  normal  metabolism,  the  excessive 
production  of  uric  acid,  and  the  need  for  its 
elimination ;  (fr)  the  treatment  of  the  particular 
local  affection  or  affections  attending  it,  due  to 
the  influence  of  the  excess  of  uric  acid  on  the 
joints,  muscles,  viscera,  and  other  structures. 

1.  Of  the  various  kinds   of  mineral  springs  and 
baths    that    are    available,    and    that    have    been 
advocated,    in     the     treatment    of    these    morbid 
states,   we    may   mention   first   the   large   group   of 
simple  alkaline  waters   which   occupy   a   very    im- 
portant place   in   the    treatment    of   gout.       Vichy 
and   Vals    are  perhaps  the   most  important  repre- 
sentatives of  the  stronger  waters  of  this  group. 

These  springs,  especially  when  warm,  are 
applicable  to  the  treatment  of  gouty  states  asso- 
ciated with  acid  dyspepsia  and  chronic  gastric 
and  intestinal  catarrhs ;  or  with  biliary  and  renal 
gravel  and  calculi ;  or  with  hepatic  congestion  in 
feeble  persons;  or  with  vesical  catarrh  and  pros- 
tatitis  associated  with  excessively  acid  urine.  In 
the  latter  condition  a  course  at  Vichy  is  often 
exceedingly  useful. 

Other  springs  of  this  class  are  Neuenahr  (the 
only  warm  alkaline  spring  in  Germany),  Ober- 
salzbrunn  in  Silesia,  Fachingen,  Bilin,  Assmanns- 
hausen,  especially  rich  in  lithium,  and  many 
more  of  less  importance.  These  waters  produce 
free  diuresis  and  promote  renal  elimination. 
They  also,  by  diluting  the  bile,  promote  its  free 
discharge  and  so  favour  hepatic  elimination. 

They  are  all  of  special  value  in  the  treat- 
ment of  the  intercurrent  attacks  of  renal  and 
bladder  irritation  to  which  the  gouty  are  prone. 

2.  The  warm  alkaline  %.T\&  sodium  chloride  springs 
are  applicable  to  much  the  same  class   of  cases  as 
the  preceding,   but  they   are   especially  suitable  to 
the     treatment     of    catarrhs    of    the     respiratory 
organs  in   the   gouty.      The   presence    of  a    small 
amount   of  common   salt  increases  the  expectorant 


SECT.  c..l  GOUT.  401 

properties  of  these  waters,  and  acts  also  as  a 
stimulant  to  digestion  in  the  frequently  co-existing 
dyspeptic  states.  Ems  and  Royat  belong  to  this 
class ;  Royat  is  especially  useful  in  atonic  forms 
of  gout,  and  has  a  wide  application  in  the 
treatment  of  gouty  states  in  feeble  persons. 

3.  Another  group  of  alkaline  waters  of  great 
importance  in  the  treatment  of  the  gouty  is 
the  aperient  alkaline  sodium  sulphate  waters ;  they 
combine  an  active  aperient  and  eliminative  effect, 
together  with  the  alkaline  action  of  the  simple 
alkaline  springs.  Carlsbad  and  Marienbad,  in 
Bohemia,  are  the  most  remarkable  and  the  most 
highly-reputed  representatives  of  this  class,  Carlsbad 
being  hot  and  Marienbad  cold. 

At  these  spas  the  hot  mineral  mud  and 
vapour  baths,  together  with  the  application  of 
massage,  gymnastics,  and  electricity,  give  an 
additional  value  to  the  treatment.  Elimination 
and  excretion,  which  are  defective  and  disturbed 
in  most  gouty  persons,  are  powerfully  stimulated 
and  promoted  by  the  employment  of  these 
mineral  waters  and  baths.  The  excretory  func- 
tions of  the  skin,  kidneys,  and  intestinal  canal 
are  brought  into  greatly  increased  activity, 
complete  and  normal  nutritive  metabolism  is 
restored,  and  waste  products  are  eliminated. 

This  treatment  is  especially  indicated  in  fairly 
vigorous  patients  in  whom  active  eliminative 
treatment  is  called  for,  and  in  whom  the  hepatic 
and  intestinal  functions  are  especially  sluggish.  It 
is  counter-indicated  in  atonic  cases,  in  cases  of 
advanced  arterio-sclerosis,  or  where  cardiac 
debility  is  pronounced.  Recent  gouty  deposits 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  joints  will  often  dis- 
appear after  treatment  of  this  kind. 

The  cold  springs  of  Marienbad  Jiave  not  so 
wide  a  range  of  application  as  those  of  Carlsbad. 
They  are  well  adapted  to  the  treatment  of  con- 
stipation in  the  gouty,  and  to  cases  complicated 


402  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

with  obesity,  and  where  the  disturbances  of  nutrition 
and  excretion  are  not  so  serious  as  in  those  treated 
at  Carlsbad. 

They  are  suitable  to  all  those  gouty  cases  in 
which  migrainous  headaches,  dyspepsia,  loss  of 
appetite,  and  other  troublesome  symptoms  are 
associated  with  torpor  of  the  intestines. 

Tarasp,  in  the  Lower  Engadine,  is  another 
spring  belonging  to  this  group.  Its  situation  at 
an  elevation  of  4,000  feet  is  bracing,  and  it  is 
especially  suited  to  those  cases  of  gout  in  which 
we  desire  to  combine  tonic  with  eliminative 
influences. 

In  France,  Brides  les  Bains  falls  under  this 
class,  and  has  been  termed  "the  French 
Carlsbad."  It  may  be  recommended  to  those 
gouty  patients  who  suffer  from  hepatic  and 
intestinal  torpor. 

4.  The  class  of  common  salt  springs  are  largely 
used  in  the  treatment  of  certain  forms  of  chronic 
gout.  The  weaker  springs,  such  as  Homburg  and 
Kissingen,  are  drunk,  and  also  used  as  baths. 

The  strong  brine  springs,  such  as  Droitwich, 
Rheinfelden,  Salso  Maggiore,  and  many  others,  are 
mainly  used  for  external  treatment. 

The  cold  drinking  springs,  as  represented  by 
Homburg*  and  Kissingen,  are  especially  applicable 
to  gouty  dyspeptics  with  tendency  to  constipa- 
tion and  hepatic  congestion.  They  are  often 
found  somewhat  tonic  in  their  action  ;  and  as 
they  are  highly  impregnated  with  free  carbonic 
acid,  they  are  usually  easily  digested,  and,  in 
cases  of  atonic  gout,  prove  somewhat  stimulating, 
and  improve  the  assimilative  functions.  Some  of 
the  Homburg  springs  contain  an  appreciable  amount 
of  iron. 

In  many  cases,  however,  they  are  not  so  well 
tolerated  as  the  alkaline  springs.  The  brine  baths, 
the  hot  salt  springs  and  the  gaseous  salt  springs 
(Wiesbaden  and  Nauheim)  are  chiefly  applicable 


SECT,  c.]  GOUT.  403 

to  the  treatment  of  the  chronic  joint  affections 
of  the  gouty — ankyloses,  deformities,  thickenings 
and  exudations,  and  neuralgias  of  the  large  nerve 
trunks,  etc. 

They  exercise  a  stimulating  effect  on  the 
joints,  especially  the  gaseous  salt  springs :  when 
applied  generally  or  locally  they  are  found  to 
promote  the  absorption  of  gouty  exudations, 
and  tend,  when  associated  with  mechanical  treatment, 
to  restore  mobility  to  the  stiffened  and  crippled 
articulations. 

5.  The    simple  thermal    baths    are  largely   em- 
ployed  in   the  treatment   of  chronic  articular  gout 
and  for  the  removal   of  gouty   exudations.      Bath, 
Buxton,    Wildbad,    Gastein,     Ragatz,    Teplitz,    are 
examples.       They    are   applied  to   the   removal   of 
gouty    exudations    and    in    the   treatment   of  peri- 
pheral   paralyses    and   neuralgias   of  gouty    origin. 
Their    efficacy    is   usually   augmented   by   massage, 
gymnastics,  and  electricity. 

6.  The  large  class  of  sulphur  springs  are  greatly 
used    in    the   treatment    of   the    chronic    articular, 
and  especially  of  the  chronic  cutaneous  and  respira- 
tory, affections  of  the  gouty. 

The  cold  sulphur  springs  (Allevard,  Heustrich) 
are  especially  useful  in  the  treatment  of  chronic 
gouty  catarrhs  of  the  pharynx,  larynx,  trachea, 
and  bronchi.  They  are  drunk  usually  in  small 
quantity,  previously  warmed,  and  are  also  used  as 
sprays,  gargles,  and  inhalations,  as  well  as  in  the  form 
of  warm  baths. 

Gouty  eczema  is  especially  benefited  by  the 
baths  at  Harrogate  and  Strathpeffer. 

The  chronic  articular  forms  of  gout  are 
especially  benefited  by  hot  sulphur  baths.  They 
are  found  useful  in  the  removal  of  periarticular  gouty 
exudations,  in  restoring  mobility  to  crippled  limbs, 
and  in  relieving  certain  forms  of  gouty  neuralgias, 
sciatica,  lumbago,  etc.  At  Aix  les  Bains  the  vigorous 
and  skilful  method  in  which  these  springs  are  applied, 


404  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

their  thermality,  and  the  warm  dry  climate,  all  con- 
tribute to  the  good  effects  obtained.  Baden,  near 
Vienna,  enjoys  a  similar  reputation. 

The  calcareous  or  earthy  springs  are  of  great  value 
in  the  renal  and  vesical  affections  of  the  gouty,  uric 
acid  gravel  and  calculi,  vesical  catarrh,  prostatitis, 
etc.  (Wildungen,  in  Germany,  Contrexeville  and  Vittel 
in  France).  The  very  feebly  mineralised  waters  of 
Evian,  on  the  Lake  of  Geneva,  have  been  found 
valuable  in  the  same  class  of  cases.  It  is  difficult 
to  understand  the  precise  manner  in  which  these 
waters  act  as  solvents  of  uric  acid  and  other  urinary 
concretions,  but  at  these  baths,  as  a  rule,  very  large 
quantities  of  the  springs  are  drunk,  and  a  certain 
amount  of  mechanical  flushing  of  the  urinary  pas- 
sages may  probably  account  for  a  great  part  of  their 
action. 

At  many  of  these  resorts  for  the  gouty,  additional 
remedial  influences  are  brought  to  bear  on  the  mani- 
festations of  this  malady  in  the  shape  of  local  or 
general  baths  of  mineral  mud,  peat,  pine-needle 
infusions,  hot  sand,  etc. ;  and,  as  has  already  been 
stated,  massage,  gymnastics,  and  light,  dry  heat,  and 
electrical  treatment  are  obtainable  at  most. 

Another  most  important  remedial  agency,  which 
can  hardly  be  over-estimated,  is  the  extremely  careful 
dietetic  management  which  is  applied  in  such  resorts 
as  Carlsbad. 

We  must  bear  in  mind,  also,  that  there  is  an  im- 
portant condition  common  to  most  of  these  courses  of 
treatment  and  that  is  the  regular  daily  consumption 
of  water,  a  solvent  and  eliminative  agent  of  great 
potency. 

Amongst  our  British  resorts  we  have  no  repre- 
sentatives of  the  simple  alkaline,  or  the  alkaline  and 
sodium  chloride  springs,  but  we  have  at  Harro- 
gate  strong  sulphur  waters  and  chloride  of  sodium 
springs,  applicable  to  the  treatment  of  chronic  articu- 
lar gout,  gouty  neuralgias,  and  gouty  skin  affections  ; 
as  well  as  of  cases  of  intestinal  and  hepatic  torpor. 


SECT;  c.]  LITHIASIS.  405 

Bath  and  Buxton  are  examples  of  thermal  springs, 
useful  in  the  treatment  of  articular  and  neuralgic 
forms  of  gout.  Strathpeffer  is  useful  in  the  same 
cases,  and  has  proved  very  efficacious  in  the  treatment 
of  gouty  eczema.  Cheltenham  and  Leamington 
springs  are  applicable  to  much  the  same  kind  of 
gouty  manifestations  as  Homburg  or  Kissingen,  viz. 
disturbances  of  hepatic  and  renal  elimination. 
Woodhall  Spa  can  be  utilised  for  the  same  class  of 
gouty  cases  as  those  that  are  sent  to  Kreuznach  or 
Salso  Maggiore ;  and  Llandrindod  Wells  has  cold  saline, 
sulphur,  and  chalybeate  springs  which  admit  of 
being  largely  utilised  in  the  treatment  of  gouty 
affections. 

LITHIASIS,   OXALURIA,   PHOSPHATURIA. 

Lithiasis,  the  deposition  of  uric  acid  and  urates 
in  the  urine,  is  closely  allied  to  the  gouty  state,  and 
commonly  arises  from  like  causes,  viz.  too  liberal 
consumption  of  rich  food  and  alcoholic  beverages, 
too  little  ingestion  of  pure  water,  insufficient  exercise, 
and  consequent  hepatic  inadequacy  and  tendency  to 
constipation.  It  is  very  amenable  to  treatment  by 
mineral  waters,  and  with  the  exception  of  the  sul- 
phur waters,  most  of  the  waters  that  are  suitable  for 
the  gouty  are  suitable  for  the  subjects  of  lithiasis 
and  with  the  same  qualifications.  Those  of  robust 
habit  of  body,  with  a  tendency  to  obesity  and  con- 
stipation, should  be  sent  to  take  the  alkaline  aperient 
sodium  sulphate  waters,  such  as  Carlsbad,  Marienbad, 
Tarasp,  or  Brides.  The  warm  springs  (Carlsbad, 
Brides)  are  best  suited  to  those  cases  attended  with 
hepatic  congestion.  The  simple  warm  alkaline 
waters  (Vichy,  Neuenahr)  or  the  cold  gaseous 
alkaline  springs  (Vals,  Fachingen,  Apollinaris),  are 
more  suitable  to  feeble  persons  or  those  with  a 
tendency  to  diarrhoea.  The  Royat  springs,  containing 
some  sodium  chloride  and  minute  amounts  of  arsenic 
and  lithium,  are  especially  suited  to  atonic,  feeble 


406  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

patients.  The  very  feebly  mineralised  water  of 
Evian  is  largely  prescribed  for  these  cases.  The  sodium 
chloride  waters  of  Kissingen,  Harrogate,  Homburg, 
Chatelguyon,  etc.,  are  considered  well  adapted  to 
thin  dyspeptic  persons  with  defective  nutrition  and 
appetite.  The  calcareous  waters  of  Wildungen,  in 
Germany,  and  of  Contrexeville  and  Vittel,  in  France, 
are  also  employed  in  the  treatment  of  these  cases ; 
and  in  cases  in  which  there  are  symptoms  pointing 
to  the  probable  presence  of  concretions  in  the  kidney 
they  may  be  preferred,  especially  in  the  case  of 
patients  who  find  alkaline  waters  depressing.  These 
earthy  waters  are  usually  prescribed  in  much 
larger  doses  than  the  alkaline  waters.  At  home 
much  good  may  be  derived  from  the  regular  use 
of  the  alkaline  effervescent  table  waters,  such  as 
Apollinaris,  Johannis,  Selters,  Giesshubel,  etc.  The 
utility  of  these  waters  in  lithiasis  depends  chiefly  on 
their  diuretic  influence,  and  not  so  much  on  any 
solvent  effect,  but  this  may  not  be  without  some 
influence,  as  their  alkalinity  certainly  is  in  many 
cases.  The  flushing  of  the  urinary  passages  is,  how- 
ever, a  very  important  part  of  their  beneficial  effects. 
Careful  regulation  of  diet  is  an  essential  auxiliary 
to  these  mineral  water  cures. 

The  presence  of  oxalate  of  lime  crystals  in 
the  urine  (pxaluria)  is  often  found  associated  with 
symptoms  of  dyspepsia  and  nervous  depression. 
Recourse  to  suitable  mineral  waters  where  the  spa 
is  situated  in  a  bracing  climate,  with  quiet  but 
pleasant  and  cheerful  surroundings,  often  proves 
effectual  in  restoring  health  to  such  patients.  The 
gaseous  alkaline  waters,  as  Giesshubel,  the  weaker 
Vals  springs,  Neuenahr  and  Apollinaris  may  be 
freely  drunk,  not  necessarily  at  their  sources,  but  in 
any  convenient  health  resort  where  the  surroundings 
might  be  more  congenial  and  appropriate. 

Evian  is  a  suitable  resort — cheerful  and  quiet,  and 
with  appropriate  springs.  Pougues  les  Eaux  has 
been  found  useful  in  these  cases.  Some  authorities 


SECT.  c.J  PHOSPHATURIA.  407 

think  the  earthy  calcareous  waters  the  best,  as  those 
at  Contrexeville,  Vittel,  or  Wildungen.  The  slightly 
alkaline  and  mildly  tonic  waters  of  Bussang,  most 
appropriately  situated  in  the  Vosges,  may  be 
recommended. 

Phosphaturia  is  apt  to  occur  in  the  over- 
worked student  or  man  of  business,  and  is 
dependent  probably-  on  too  sedentary  a  life  and 
insufficient  exercise  in  the  open  air.  It  often  dis- 
appears with  "  change  of  air,"  increased  physical 
exercise;  and  a  cheerful  out-of-door  life.  It  is  rarely 
advisable  to  prescribe  a  mineral-water  course  unless 
other  symptoms  or  conditions  are  present  which 
render  this  desirable. 

If  atonic  dyspepsia  or  a  tendency  to  constipation 
co-exist,  the  sodium  chloride  waters  of  Kissingen 
or  Homburg  may  be  recommended,  and  if  there  is 
decided  anaemia  the  gaseous  iron  waters  of  Schwal- 
bach  or  St.  Moritz,  or  the  mild  iron  and  arsenical 
water  of  Bussang.  Some  advise  the  calcareous 
waters  of  Contrexeville. 


OBESITY. 

The  appropriate  mineral -water  treatment  of 
obesity  will  depend,  to  a  great  extent,  on  the  nature 
of  the  conditions  which  accompany  the  obesity. 

There  are  the  plethoric  obese,  with  abundant 
muscular  activity  ;  there  are  the  pale,  feeble,  and 
anaemic  obese,  with  ill-nourished,  feeble  muscles  ; 
there  are  the  young  obese  and  the  old  obese  ;  there 
are  the  gouty  obese  with  feeble  fatty  hearts  and 
diseased  arteries  ;  and  there  are  the  diabetic  obese. 
The  mineral-water  treatment  suitable  to  the  two 
latter  groups  has  already  been  discussed.  The 
object  of  treatment  in  most  of  these  cases  is  to  pro- 
duce a  diminution  in  adipose  tissue  without  causing 
any  loss  in  the  nitrogenous  tissues — a  waste  of 
albumen. 

In  all  cases  we  need  the  co  operation  of  dietetic 


408  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

measures  and  of  suitable  exercises,  which  may  take 
the  form  of  massage  or  Swedish  gymnastics. 

It  is  generally  admitted  that  the  best  results  are 
obtained  from  the  alkaline  sodium  sulphate  waters, 
as  Carlsbad,  Marienbad,  Tarasp,  Franzensbad,  Elster, 
and  others.  Good  results  also  follow  the  use  of  the 
"  bitter  waters,"  containing  magnesium  and  sodium 
sulphates,  as  Apenta,  ^Esculap,  Rubinat,  but  these 
are  exclusively  for  home  use ;  waters  containing 
sodium  chloride  as  well  as  the  aperient  sulphates, 
such  as  Brides  les  Bains,  are  also  very  useful. 

The  cold  sodium  chloride  waters  of  Kissingen  and 
Homburg  are  applicable  to  many  cases. 

In  France  sodium  chloride  waters  are  much  used 
in  the  treatment  of  obesity;  they  are  believed  to 
stimulate  defective  metabolism  and  to  promote 
oxidation.  The  stronger  ones  are  used  only  as 
baths  (La  Mouillere,  Safins  de  Jura,  Salies  de  Beam), 
the  weaker  springs  (Chatelguyon,  Santenay)  also  as 
drinking  cures.  It  is  also  maintained,  by  the  Vichy 
authorities,  that  the  course  there  is  efficacious,  if  a 
suitable  diet  is  at  the  same  time  adhered  to. 

Some  discrimination  is  needed  in  the  recom- 
mendation of  these  different  cures. 

The  plethoric  obese  are  best  treated  by  the  cold 
alkaline  sodium  sulphate  waters  of  Marienbad  or 
Tarasp ;  they  are  less  exciting  to  the  vascular  system 
than  the  thermal  waters  of  Carlsbad,  which  are,  how- 
ever, to  be  preferred  in  the  gouty  and  diabetic  obese. 

Marienbad  is  especially  indicated  in  cases 
originating  in  excess  of  food,  and  in  hereditary  cases, 
also  in  those  cases  occurring  in  women  at  the 
climacteric  period,  and  in  cases  associated  with 
abdominal  stasis  and  haemorrhoids.  Normal  meta- 
bolism and  oxidation  are  promoted  by  the  free 
action  of  the  liver,  intestines,  and  kidneys  induced 
by  the  waters.  It  must  be  seen  to  that  free  diuresis 
accompanies  the  water-drinking,  and  that  vascular 
pressure  is  not  raised.  The  course  should  be  of  four 
to  eight  weeks'  duration. 


SECT,  c.]  RHEUMATISM.  409 

The  treatment  at  Brides  les  Bains  is  suited  to 
gouty  cases  and  to  lymphatic  and  anaemic  cases  with 
defective  oxidation ;  it  is  also  recommended  in 
cases  of  abdominal  plethora  with  fatty  heart  and 
the  earlier  stages  of  arterio-sclerosis.  In  cases  refer- 
able to  over-feeding,  the  use  of  the  water  is  supple- 
mented by  douche  massage,  the  induction  of  free 
perspiration,  and  a  "  Terrain-Kur." 

The  fat  ancemics  are  difficult  cases  to  deal  with. 
Some  are  best  treated  with  water  containing  a 
combination  of  iron  and  sodium  sulphate,  as  at 
Franzensbad  (Stahlquelle),  Elster  (Marienquelle) ; 
some  by  the  less  energetic  cold  common  salt 
springs  containing  iron,  as  at  Homburg  and 
Kissingen ;  or  Tarasp,  with  its  more  tonic  climate  and 
combined  iron  and  alkaline  sodium  sulphate  spring, 
may  be  tried.  Such  cases  are  undoubtedly  benefited 
by  being  much  in  the  open  air  in  a  bracing  situation. 

The  various  baths  employed  at  these  different 
spas  may  greatly  promote  the  desired  effect  in  many 
cases,  but  they  are  not  to  be  applied  indiscriminately, 
and  it  should  first  be  ascertained  that  the  heart  is 
sound  and  the  arteries  free  from  disease. 

Vapour  baths,  warm  peat  and  brine  baths,  gaseous 
brine  baths,  gaseous  steel  baths,  are  all  of  value  in 
appropriate  cases.  By  stimulating  the  action  of  the 
skin  and  promoting  free  cutaneous  excretion,  they 
further  oxidation  and  healthy  metabolism. 

Electric  light  or  radiant  heat  baths  are  useful  for 
the  same  purpose. 


RHEUMATISM — CHRONIC,    ARTICULAR,    AND    MUS- 
CULAR.   RHEUMATIC   NEURALGIAS   (SCIATICA, 

LUMBAGO).    "  RHEUMATOID  ARTHRITIS." 

We  include  "rheumatoid  arthritis,"  so  called, 
in  this  group  of  maladies,  not  because  we  think 
its  relation  to  rheumatism  a  close  one,  but 
because  the  term  is  one  generally  employed,  and 


410  MINEPAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

because  the  impression  is  so  widely  diffused  that  it 
is  intimately  related  with  rheumatism  and  gout.  So 
far  as  we  have  been  able  to  observe,  its  closest  patho- 
logical affinities  are  with  neither,  and  we  have  had 
reason  to  think  that  the  term  is  often  wrongly  applied 
to  some  forms  of  chronic  articular  gout  and  rheu- 
matism, and  inferences  drawn  with  regard  to  its 
treatment  which  are  not  to  be  relied  upon.  The 
French  pathologists  use  largely  the  word 
"  arthritisme"  a  term  of  very  vague  signification, 
which  is  made  to  cover  a  vast  number  of  morbid 
conditions  that  are  believed  to  be  associated  with 
an  original  constitutional  tendency  to  the  develop- 
ment of  affections  of  the  joints,  just  as  they  employ 
the  term  "  herpetisme "  to  signify  a  constitutional 
tendency  to  cutaneous  affections.  Patients  afflicted 
with  "rheumatoid  arthritis"  are  therefore  grouped 
by  French  authorities  with  the  rheumatic  and  gouty, 
under  the  vague  designation  of  "  arthritiques  "  ! 

In  approaching  the  consideration  of  the  treatment 
of  rheumatic  affections  by  mineral  waters  and  baths, 
the  first  thing  to  be  noted  is  that  nearly  every  spa, 
especially  if  it  possesses  thermal  springs,  claims  to 
be  a  remedy  for  these  maladies.  It  would  be  diffi- 
cult to  mention  a  single  spa,  in  Great  Britain,  which 
does  not  include  chronic  rheumatism  amongst  the 
complaints  for  which  it  is  suitable,  and  in  France  the 
same  may  be  said  of  fully  sixty  per  cent,  of  its 
mineral-water  resorts.  A  similar  reflection  applies 
to  Germany,  Italy,  and  Switzerland.  We  may  con- 
clude, from  these  facts,  that  all  hot  baths,  and  the 
auxiliary  mechanical  and  other  treatments  associated 
with  them,  are  more  or  less  beneficial  to  most  forms 
of  chronic  rheumatism. 

It  is  a  question  whether  patients  slowly  recover- 
ing from  attacks  of  acute  rheumatism,  with  or  without 
implication  of  the  cardial  valves,  should  be  submitted 
to  mineral-water  treatment.  The  tendency  in  the 
present  day  is  to  answer  this  question  in  the 
affirmative,  and  to  direct  such  patients  to  those 


SECT,  c.]  RHEUMATISM.  411 

common  salt  baths  which  are  rich  in  free  carbonic 
acid  gas.  We  shall  have  to  refer  to  this  matter  again 
when  dealing  with  the  subject  of  the  treatment  of 
cardiac  disease  by  mineral  waters,  but  we  may  say 
now,  that  we  see  no  good  reason  for  sending  these 
convalescents  to  foreign  spas,  so  long  as  well-arranged 
artificial  warm  gaseous  salt  baths,  or  warm  artificially 
aerated  sea-baths,  can  be  obtained  in  pleasant  and 
healthy  resorts  in  this  country.  Indeed,  it  seems  to 
us  much  better  to  spare  such  patients  the  fatigue  and 
possible  risks  of  foreign  travel ;  more  particularly  do 
we  think  this  view  is  the  correct  one  in  all  cases 
which  tend  to  a  protracted  subacute  course,  with 
occasional  slight  rises  of  temperature.  It  can  scarcely 
be  right  to  remove  such  a  patient  to  an  overcrowded 
popular  German  spa.  If,  however,  in  such  cases  there 
is  an  entire  absence  of  fever,  but  certain  joints 
remain  stiff  and  swollen,  gentle  thermal  and 
mechanical  treatment,  at  one  of  our  own  baths,  may 
be  useful — such  as  Buxton,  Bath,  or  Woodhall  Spa, 
or  at  the  seaside,  according  to  circumstances. 

In  France  the  spas  recommended  for  these  con  vales- 
cents  are  the  warm  weak  sodium  chloride  springs 
of  Bourbon  Lancy,  Bourbon  I'Archambaut  and  La 
Motte  les  Bains,  the  simple  thermal  baths  of  Neris 
and  Plombieres,  and  the  hot  sulphur  baths  of  Vernet 
in  the  Eastern  Pyrenees,  where  the  climatic  condi- 
tions are  considered  to  be  very  favourable.  In 
Germany  the  gaseous  salt  springs  of  Nauheim  and 
Oeynhausen  are  most  popular. 

But  it  is  in  those  cases  of  chronic  rheumatism 
which,  probably,  have  but  little  pathological  affinity 
with  the  acute  disease,  that  spa  treatment  is  so 
greatly  resorted  to. 

In  chronic  articular  and  muscular  rheumatism  the 
following  classes  of  mineral  springs  are  commonly 
used,  sometimes  one,  sometimes  the  other,  according 
to  individual  requirements,  place  of  residence,  degree 
of  severity  and  chronicity,  or  past  experience  in 
particular  cases,  and  often  because  of  the  perfection 


412  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

of   the   methods,  thermal   and    auxiliary,  put    into 
practice  at  the  particular  resort. 

1.  Simple     thermal    springs      (Bath,     Buxton, 
Wildbad,  Gastein,  Ragatz,  Plombieres,  Bormio). 

2.  Thermal  sulphur  baths ;  if  cold,  the   springs 
are  artificially  heated  (Harrogate,  StrathpefTer,  Aix 
la   Chapelle,    Aix   les   Bains,    Luchon,    Schinznach, 
Acqui). 

3.  Thermal  salt  or  brine  baths — or  cold  waters 
heated  (Droitwich,  Woodhall,  Bourbonne  les  Bains, 
Wiesbaden,  Nauheim,  Rheinfelden,  Salso  Maggiore). 

4.  Thermal  peat   and   mud  baths    (^StrathpefTer, 
Dax,  St.  Amand  les  Eaux,  Franzensbad,  Elster,  Bex, 
Battaglia). 

The  object  of  these  baths  is  to  promote 
absorption  of  effusions  and  exudations  by  stimulating 
metabolism  ;  to  excite  and  increase  the  cutaneous 
functions,  and  promote  elimination  by  the  skin  ;  to 
influence  favourably  the  circulation  by  causing  dilata- 
tion of  the  capillaries,  while  the  warm  temperature  of 
the  bath  is  soothing  to  the  peripheral  nerves.  It  is  usual 
to  endeavour  to  maintain  the  stimulating  action  on 
the  skin,  by  removal,  after  the  bath,  to  a  warm  bed, 
where  perspiration  is  encouraged.  The  diaphoretic 
action  is  further  promoted,  in  the  case  of  the  simple 
thermal  baths,  by  giving  the  patient  some  of  the  hot 
mineral  water  to  drink. 

In  nearly  all  cases  the  baths  and  local  or  general 
douches  are  associated  with  some  mechanical  treat- 
ment, such  as  massage  or  Swedish  gymnastics.  Vapour 
baths,  sand  baths,  electric  light  baths,  pine-needle 
baths,  and  local  applications  of  peat,  mineral  mud, 
or  "  fango,"  after  the  manner  of  poultices,  are  also 
employed  and  prove  serviceable  in  the  treatment  of 
these  very  chronic  and  often  obstinate  maladies.  Hot 
compresses,  together  with  friction,  have  been  found 
useful  in  relieving  the  pain  referred  to  particular 
spots,  in  lumbago  and  other  forms  of  muscular  pain. 

The  thermal  sulphur  and  the  thermal  salt  baths 
are  more  stimulating- than  the  simple  thermal  baths, 


SECT,  c.]        RHEUMATOID    ARTHRITIS.  413 

and  are  usually  found  more  serviceable  in  obstinate 
cases  of  articular  rheumatism. 

Sciatica  and  neuralgia  of  other  large  nerves  is 
often  of  a  rheumatic  or  gouty  nature,  and  the  mineral- 
water  treatment  of  such  affections  is  practically 
identical  with  that  of  chronic  rheumatism.  Apart 
from  those  acute  cases  (neuritis)  that  require  absolute 
rest,  douching  and  massage,  either  with  the  hottest 
of  the  simple  thermal  waters  (Bath,  Dax,  Teplitz), 
or  the  thermal  sulphur  waters  (Aix  les  Bains,  Harro- 
gate),  or  the  hot  common  salt  springs  (Droitwich, 
Bourbonne  les  Bains,  Wiesbaden),  are  most  appro- 
priate. Sensitive  patients  who  require  baths  of 
rather  a  lower  temperature  and  more  sedative  may 
be  directed  to  Buxton,  Ragatz,  Wildbad  and  Gastein. 

All  those  patients  require  an  "  after-cure  "  in  as 
dry  and  sunny  a  station  as  can  be  conveniently 
obtained,  and  to  prevent  relapses  they  should,  if 
possible,  choose  a  residence  in  a  dry,  sunny  district, 
with  a  sub -soil  of  gravel  and  sand,  and  good 
natural  drainage.  It  is  good  for  such  patients  to  be 
much  in  the  open  air,  and  hence  the  value  of  a 
climate  where  this  kind  of  life  can  be  followed  with- 
out risk  of  chill. 

The  subject  of  the  treatment  of  rheumatoid 
arthritis  or  osteo-arthritis  by  mineral  waters  is  one 
of  some  difficulty,  and  a  great  difference  of  opinion 
exists  amongst  authorities  as  to  the  value  of  such 
treatment  in  these  cases.  Those  who  believe  this 
disease  to  be  a  microbic  infection  of  the  joints, 
having  no  direct  relationship  with  rheumatism, 
maintain,  and  we  think  justly,  that  the  proper  treat- 
ment of  those  cases  is  a  tonic  and  supporting  one,  and 
that  change  to  a  dry  and  bracing  climate,  and  to  cheer- 
ful and  hygienic  surroundings,  is  of  great  importance, 
and  most  serviceable;  while  little  direct  benefit 
can  be  expected,  or  is  actually  found,  to  accrue  from 
any  special  action  of  mineral  waters.  This  has  been 
more  particularly  observed  in  chronic  cases,  in  which 
permanent  good  results  from  spa  treatment  must  not 


414  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

be  expected.  In  such  cases  massage,  electricity,  baths, 
douches,  and  passive  movements,  perseveringly 
applied,  may  prevent  further  deformity  and  secure 
some  increase  of  mobility  in  the  affected  joints, 
especially  when  aided  by  general  tonic  influences, 
such  as  good  air,  plenty  of  sunshine,  and  a  generous 
diet.  In  the  acute  and  painful  stage,  however,  rest 
is  essential,  even  a  splint  may  be  needed ;  but  we 
must,  at  the  same  time,  bear  in  mind  that  some 
precautions  have  to  be  taken  to  prevent  and  counter- 
act the  great  tendency  there  is  to  fixation  of  joints 
and  consequent  deformity  in  this  disease,  so  that,  even 
in  the  acute  stage,  occasional  passive  movements  may 
be  indicated. 

In  early  cases  the  application  of  the  Dowsing 
hot-air  treatment  has  been  strongly  advocated, 
either  locally  to  the  joints  affected,  or  to  the  whole 
body,  and  even  in  chronic  cases  good  results  appear 
sometimes  to  follow  this  method,  which  is  now 
instituted  at  many  English  and  Continental  spas. 
It  has  been  suggested  that  where  thermal  baths  are 
attended  with  benefit  it  is  wholly  due  to  the  heat  of 
the  water,  and  it  is  to  be  noted  that  in  France,  where 
bath  treatment  of  these  cases  is  in  some  repute,  it 
is  to  the  hotter — the  "  hyperthermal " — waters  that 
these  cases  are  sent ;  the  authorities  at  these  spas, 
however,  require  that  the  cases  should  be  in  the  early 
stage,  and  do  not  pretend  to  cure  or  permanently 
benefit  the  advanced,  chronic  forms. 

At  Aix  les  Bains  good  results  are  reported  in 
cases  that  come  under  treatment  at  the  early  stage, 
and  repeated  courses  are  sometimes  found  to  "  arrest 
the  evolution  of  the  disease,"  but  success  is  uncertain. 
The  hot  calcareous  waters  and  the  cheerful  surround- 
ings and  favourable  climate  of  Bagneres-de-Bigorre — 
the  hot  sulphur  springs  of  Barbotan  and  Bareges — 
the  latter  having  also  its  bracing  mountain  climate 
as  an  auxiliary — the  hyperthermal  but  feebly 
mineralised  springs  of  Evaux  les  Bains — the  alkaline 
arsenical  waters  and  mild  mountain  climate  of  La 


SECT,  c.]  MALARIAL    CACHEXIA.  415 

Bourboule — the  hot  gaseous  common  salt  springs  of 
Bourbonne  les  Bains — the  very  hot  common  salt 
springs  of  La  Motte — the  hot  alkaline  and  mild 
common  salt  waters  of  Bourbon  I'Archambaut, 
containing  also  minute  amounts  of  arsenic  and  iodine 
(this  place  claims  "  frequent  cures  in  forms  of  rapid 
evolution  in  young  subjects  ") — and  the  hot  muds  of 
Dax  and  St.  Amand  les  Eaux — these  are  the  principal 
spas  to  which  cases  of  rheumatoid  arthritis  are  sent 
in  France. 

In  this  country  recourse  may  be  had  to  the 
experience  and  skill,  in  the  treatment  of  this  affec- 
tion, of  the  physicians  at  Bath,  Buxton,  Harrogate, 
Woodhall  Spa,  Llandrindod,  etc. 

CHRONIC   MALARIAL   AFFECTIONS. 

MALARIAL  CACHEXIA. 
"IMPALUDISM"  OF  FRENCH  WRITERS. 

These  affections,  gastro-intestinal,  hepatic,  and 
splenic,  associated  commonly  with  an  anaemic  state, 
and  occasionally  with  febrile  recurrences,  the  result 
of  residence  in  tropical  climates,  are  often  very 
favourably  influenced  and  not  unfrequently  cured  by 
recourse  to  mineral  waters. 

It  is  a  distinct  advantage  if  we  can  find  suitable 
springs,  for  this  purpose,  in  moderately  bracing  sub- 
alpine  districts  with  tonic  air  and  cheerful,  picturesque 
surroundings.  It  should,  however,  be  borne  in  mind 
that  many  of  these  patients  are  highly  sensitive  to 
cold,  and  apt  to  become  chilled  if  exposed  to  too  low 
a  temperature,  and  even  in  a  warm  resort  like  Vichy 
it  is  found  that  such  patients  often  do  best  in  the 
warmest  part  of  the  season. 

When  there  is  considerable  enlargement  of  the 
liver  and  spleen,  and  much  sluggishness  of  the 
hepatic  functions,  with  a  tendency  to  constipation, 
the  warm  alkaline  aperient  (sodium  sulphate)  waters 
answer  best,  as  Carlsbad  or  Brides  les  Bains 
(aperient  sulphates  with  sodium  chloride).  The 


416  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

Tarasp  waters  are  also  very  useful  in  such  cases  as 
will  tolerate  its  bracing  mountain  climate.  They 
are,  however,  cold,  which  is  perhaps  a  disadvantage. 
Saint  Gervais,  with  its  warm  springs  of  sodium 
chloride  and  mixed  sulphates  and  its  mild  mountain 
climate,  is  also  a  suitable  resort.  In  such  resorts  the 
hepatic  and  splenic  enlargements  are  often  much 
reduced  and  the  blood  conditions  improved. 

The  simple  warm  alkaline  waters  of  Vichy  also 
enjoy  in  France  "a  great  reputation  in  the  treat- 
ment of  these  affections" — after  a  prolonged  course 
the  gastro-hepatic  troubles  are  usually  greatly 
relieved  if  not  entirely  cured.  The  waters  of  Vals 
have  a  like  reputation.  Royat  is  also  resorted  to 
for  its  arsenical,  alkaline,  and  sodium  chloride  springs, 
and  is  found  especially  suitable  to  the  anaemic  forms. 

Le  Boulou,  in  the  Eastern  Pyrenees,  with  cold 
sodium  carbonate  springs,  is  resorted  to  by  the  same 
class  of  cases. 

Arsenical  waters  are  especially  indicated  in  the 
febrile  and  anemic  cases,  and  good  results  are 
obtained  from  the  alkaline  arsenical  waters  of  La 
Bourboule. 

The  feebly  mineralised  thermal  waters  of 
Plombieres  have  been  found  serviceable  in  the  treat- 
ment of  the  more  delicate  patients,  and  French 
authors  seem  inclined  to  refer  their  utility  to  the 
very  small  amount  of  arsenic  they  contain. 

The  arsenical  waters  of  Val  Sinestra,  near  Tarasp, 
can  be  taken,  at  the  latter  place,  together  with  or 
supplementary  to  the  saline  springs. 

Some  consider  the  simple  thermal  waters  of  value 
when  situated  in  bracing  localities,  as  at  Gastein. 

In  cases  in  which  anaemia  is  the  predominating 
symptom,  the  sulphate  of  iron  waters  have  been 
thought  to  be  indicated,  such  as  those  at  Mitter- 
bad  (Tyrol),  Parad  (Hungary),  and  Hermannsbad- 
Muskau  (Prussia),  and  when  there  is  a  tendency  to 
febrile  recurrences  the  arsenical  iron  waters  such  as 
Levico,  Roncegno,  Trebernik  and  Recoaro. 


SECT,  c.j  DYSPEPSIA.  417 


DISEASES   OF  THE    DIGESTIVE   ORGANS. 

DYSPEPSIAS. 

The  same  difficulties  which  we  encounter  in 
the  home  treatment  of  the  various  forms  of  dis- 
ordered digestion,  will  meet  us  also  when  we 
endeavour  to  apply  mineral  -  water  treatment  to 
their  relief. 

The  obstacles  which  arise  in  our  endeavour  to 
ascertain  the  real  causes,  or  to  determine,  with  pre- 
cision, the  true  nature  of  the  gastric  disorder,  impart 
an  element  of  uncertainty  to  the  results  to  be  expected 
from  the  particular  course  prescribed.  The  French 
physicians  attempt  to  establish  a  marked  distinction 
between  what  they  term  dyspepsia  from  hyper- 
chlorhydrie, i.e.  an  excessive  formation  of  hydrochloric 
acid  in  the  stomach,  and  dyspepsia  from  hypochlor- 
hydrie,  a  defective  secretion  of  that  acid.  They  also 
recognise  a  '  hyper sthenique  and  a  hyposthenique 
form,  but  they  advocate  the  same  mineral-water  treat- 
ment in  both  these  last  forms.  In  a  semi-official 
pronouncement  as  to  the  applicability  of  the  Vichy 
springs  to  the  treatment  of  dyspepsia,  it  is  said,  "  Painful 
or  hypersthenic  dyspepsias,  simple  or  complicated  with 
hyperchlorhydrie  .  .'  atonic  flatulent  or  hyposthenic 
dyspepsias  .  .  are  usually  cured  or  advantageously 
modified  "*  by  treatment  there.  But  they  commonly 
distinguish  between  the  waters  suitable  for  cases 
of  "  hyperchlorhydrie  "  and  those  indicated  in  cases 
of  "  hypochlorhydrie." 

We  are  accustomed,  in  this  country,  to  recognise 
chronic  gastric  catarrh  as  a  dyspeptic  state  often 
induced  by  the  abuse  of  food,  alcohol,  tobacco,  and 
other  irritating  agencies.  We  recognise  atonic  forms 
of  dyspepsia  in  the  debilitated,  as  a  sequel  of  acute  or 
chronic  illness,  in  the  neurotic  (the  "  nervous  dyspep- 
sia," which  is  the  most  difficult  of  all  to  deal  with),  in 

*  Index  Medical  des  principales  Stations  Thermales  et  Climatiques 
de  France,  Paris,  1903. 


418  MINERAL  SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

the  neurasthenic,  as  the  consequence  of  over-work  and 
worry  ;  and  we  are  familiar  with  what  is  perhaps  the 
most  common  form,  the  acid  dyspepsia — the  hyper- 
chlorhydrie  of  the  French — often  intermittent  in 
occurrence,  and  provoked,  in  the  predisposed,  by 
slight  dietetic  errors. 

In  determining  the  fitness  of  a  particular  spa  for 
the  treatment  of  particular  cases  of  dyspepsia,  we 
shall  be  assisted  chiefly  by  a  consideration  of  the 
accompanying  conditions,  the  individual  constitution, 
the  probable  causation,  and  the  co-existence  of  other 
maladies.  The  comparatively  robust,  vigorous,  gouty 
dyspeptic  will  usually  require  different  treatment  from 
that  suited  to  the  feeble  neurotic  dyspeptic. 

But  in  prescribing  a  course  of  mineral  waters,  at  a 
Continental  spa,  we  shall  be  prescribing  conditions, 
other  than  the  mere  water  drinking,  which  are  calcu- 
lated to  be  beneficial  to  nearly  all  dyspeptics.  Change 
of  habits  of  life  and  of  climatic  conditions,  release 
from  work  and  home  worries,  inducements  to  exercise 
in  the  open  air,  the  regulation  of  diet  and  the  constant 
medical  supervision,  the  tonic  as  well  as  soothing 
influence  of  baths  and  douches — all  these  influences 
tend  to  the  restoration  of  gastric  tone  and  healthy 
functions. 

The  following  are  the  different  classes  of  mineral 
waters  that  are  prescribed  for  the  treatment  of 
dyspeptic  states  :— 

i.  The  simple  alkaline  waters,  such  as  Vichy, 
Vals,  and  Neuenahr.  Vals  has  the  advantage  of 
possessing  a  great  number  of  springs  differing  in 
degree  of  alkalinity,  and  having,  therefore,  a  wide 
range  of  applicability.  Neuenahr  has  very  useful 
warm  alkaline  springs,  but  they  are  very  mild,  and 
are  suitable  to  those  who  do  not  bear  strong  alkaline 
remedies. 

The  Vichy  waters  are  strong  alkaline  waters,  and 
some  of  the  Springs  are  warm  and  others  cold.  They 
are  adapted  to  the  treatment  of  many  forms  of 
dyspepsia,  but  especially  to  cases  of  excessive  gastric 


SECT.  c.J  DYSPEPSIA.  419 

acidity  and  of  chronic  gastric  catarrh.  They  are  of 
comparatively  little  use  to  the  neurotic  dyspeptic 
with  an  insufficient  secretion  of  gastric  juice.  They 
are  very  serviceable  in  cases  of  intestinal  as  well  as 
gastric  catarrh,  in  which  constipation  and  diarrhoea 
often  alternate  ;  but  they  are  not  so  useful,  as  certain 
other  springs,  for  dyspeptics  who  are  the  subjects  of 
habitual  constipation. 

2.  The   alkaline   weak   common  salt  waters  are 
suitable  to  a  more  limited  class  of  dyspeptics ;  to 
those  cases  of  chronic  gastric  catarrh  associated  with 
general  debility  ;  and  to  dyspeptic  states  in  the  thin, 
neurotic,  and  sensitive,  who   require  very  mild  and 
soothing  treatment.     Ems,  Royat,  Gleichenberg,  are 
examples   of  this  group  of  waters,  the  two  former 
being  warm,  the  latter  cold.     Dyspeptic  symptoms, 
in  the  subjects  of  atonic  gout,  are  likely  to  be  relieved 
by  these  waters.     Royat  is  suited  to  the  treatment  of 
gastric  atony  and  dyspeptics  with  insufficient  secre- 
tions of  gastric  juice,  the  "  hypochlorhydric."     The 
presence  of  a  small  amount  of  arsenic  in  the  water 
gives  it  a  tonic  effect,  and  the  situation  is  not  relax- 
ing like  that  of  Ems. 

3.  The  gaseous    common   salt  springs,   such   as 
Kissingen   and  Homburg,  are  largely   prescribed   in 
the  treatment  of  certain  forms  of  dyspepsia.     Those 
springs  only  are  suitable  which  contain  but  a  moderate 
amount  of  sodium  chloride  and  a  large  amount  of  free 
carbonic  acid ;  the  Rakoczyquelle  at  Kissingen  is  the 
type  of  this  class. 

The  dyspeptic  cases  suited  to  these  spas  are  those 
of  chronic  gastric  catarrh  with  defective  secretion, 
associated  with  gastric  atony ;  some  cases  also  of 
"  nervous  dyspepsia  "  improve  much  at  Kissingen,  in 
others  the  results  are  disappointing,  as  is  the  case 
with  all  remedies  in  these  very  troublesome  neurotic 
cases. 

Soden,  near  Frankfort,  Neiderbronn  in  Alsace,  and 
Chatelguyon  in  France,  are  also  suitable  places  of 
resort  for  these  patients. 


420  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

4.  The  alkaline  aperient  sodium  sulphate  waters 
Carlsbad,  Marienbad,  Tarasp,  Bertrich  are  examples  ; 
with  these  may  be  classed  the  laxative  waters  of 
Brides  les  Bains,  St.  Gervais,  and  Leamington. 

To  these  resorts  may  be  sent  the  large  class  of 
dyspeptics,  often  gouty,  often  gross  feeders,  often 
alcoholic,  who,  with  catarrhal  stomachs,  have  also 
congested  livers,  are  constipated,  suffer  from  haemor- 
rhoids, lithiasis,  and  generally  from  defective  elimina- 
tion and  hyperacidity. 

The  warm  alkaline  waters  of  Carlsbad  are  more 
suitable  to  the  catarrhal  cases,  and  those  of  Bertrich, 
which  are  much  milder,  to  those  sensitive,  delicate 
patients  who  might  find  the  waters  of  Carlsbad  too 
strong.  Marienbad  is  adapted  to  the  obese  and 
robust,  Tarasp  to  those  who  require  the  tonic  influence 
of  mountain  air.  Brides  is  very  useful  in  cases  of 
habitual  constipation,  and  in  those  gastro-hepatic 
troubles  induced  by  residence  in  hot  climates. 

Leamington  may  be  recommended  to  those  who 
desire  to  avoid  the  fatigue  of  travel. 

There  are  a  few  other  mineral- water  resorts,  which 
cannot  well  be  included  in  either  of  the  preceding- 
classes,  which,  however,  are  in  repute  for  the  treat- 
ment of  the  class  of  cases  we  are  considering.  There 
is  Harrogate,  with  its  Kissingen  well,  adapted  to  the 
treatment  of  the  same  class  of  dyspeptics  as  the  fourth 
of  the  preceding  groups.  There  is  Evian,  with  its 
very  feebly  mineralised  spring,  which  is  recommended 
in  cases  of  "  hyperchlorhydrie,"  and  Pougues,  near 
Nevers,  with  its  gaseous  alkaline  carbonate  of  lime 
water,  which  is  resorted  to  in  cases  of  gastric  atony, 
and  dyspeptic  states  in  the  neurotic  and  neurasthenic 
with  defective  gastric  secretion.  In  most  of  these 
cases  the  waters  that  are  cold  should  be  warmed  at 
the  commencement  of  the  course. 

The  uncertainty  as  to  some  of  these  waters  being 
well  tolerated  by  dyspeptic  patients  is  so  great,  that 
Kisch  has  very  wisely  suggested  "  the  tentative  use, 
for  a  few  days  at  home,  of  the  mineral  water  that 


SECT,  c.]  CONSTIPATION.  421 

is  under  consideration,  in  order  to  determine  whether 
or  not  it  is  well  borne."* 

Home  treatment  by  mineral  waters  can  also  be 
satisfactorily  instituted  and  applied  in  the  milder  forms 
of  dyspepsia.  The  gaseous  mildly  alkaline  table 
waters,  such  as  Apollinaris,  Bilin,  or  Giesshiibel  are 
well  suited  for  this  purpose.  The  first  of  these,  mixed 
with  one-third  as  much  hot  water,  is  an  effective 
substitute  for  Neuenahr  water,  and  can  be  taken,  in 
any  desirable  quantity,  half  an  hour  -before  break- 
fast or  lunch. 

Co-existing  constipation  can  be  similarly  treated 
by  mixing  five  or  six  ounces  of  Apollinaris  water 
with  three  or  four  ounces  of  Apenta  or  Friedrichshall 
and  drinking  this,  in  two  doses,  some  time  before 
breakfast.  Or  one  or  two  tumblerfuls  of  the  imported 
Carlsbad  water  can  be  taken  at  this  time. 

Many  authorities  recommend  the  treatment  of 
cases  of  gastric  nicer  at  some  of  these  resorts,  but  we 
hardly  think  it  desirable,  under  any  circumstances, 
to  send  cases  of  ulcer  of  the  stomach  away  from 
home  for  treatment  by  mineral  waters. 

HABITUAL   CONSTIPATION. 

Habitual  constipation  is  often  associated  with 
gastric  disorders — especially  with  gastro-intestinal 
catarrh,  and  in  treating  appropriately  the  dyspeptic 
conditions,  we  have  to  adopt  such  measures  as  will 
remove  the  constipation,  as  we  have  just  seen. 
Constipation  may,  however,  exist  without  any 
notable  dyspepsia,  and  recourse  to  mineral  waters 
may  be  had  for  its  relief.  The  Hungarian  " bitter" 
waters,  containing  the  aperient  sulphates  of  magne- 
sium and  sodium  and  also  some  chloride  of  sodium 
are  largely  used  at  home  for  this  purpose ;  and 
the  spas  visited  for  the  treatment  of  habitual 
constipation  are  those  which  contain  springs  rich 

*  Mineral  Waters  and  Their  Uses.  "Cohen's  System  of 
Physiologic  Therapeutics,"  vol.  ix.,  p.  478. 


422  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

either  in  these  aperient  sulphates  or  in  sodium 
chloride.  The  gaseous  chloride  of  sodium  springs  of 
Homburg  and  Kissingen  are  found  efficient  in  some 
cases,  while  they  entirely  fail  in  others.  The  alkaline 
sodium  sulphate  waters  of  Marienbad,  Franzensbad, 
and  Tarasp  are  usually  found  much  more  effective, 
but  these  will  wholly  fail  and  even  cause  constipation 
in  some  patients;  in  such  instances  we  have  lound  the 
waters  of  Brides  les  Bains  more  uniformly  succeed 
in  remedying  this  condition.  In  persons  advanced  in 
life,  and  in  stout  women  of  sedentary  habits,  the 
constipation  is  often  due  to  muscular  torpor  of  the 
large  intestine ;  in  such  cases  abdominal  massage, 
combined  with  a  course  of  laxative  waters,  proves  of 
great  value. 

The  chloride  of  sodium  and  magnesium  waters  of 
Chatelguyon  are  valued  in  France  as  a  remedy  for 
habitual  constipation. 

Haemorrhoids  often  co-exist  with  habitual  con- 
stipation, and  are  relieved  by  the  same  means. 


CHRONIC    DIARRHCEA    AND    MUCO-MEMBRANOUS    COLITIS. 

The  employment  of  mineral  waters  in  the  treat- 
ment of  chronic  diarrhoea  is  naturally  only  had 
recourse  to  in  those  cases,  and  they  are  not  rare,  in 
which  ordinary  medicinal  and  dietetic  treatment  has 
failed. 

In  those  cases  of  intestinal  catarrh,  in  which 
frequent  mucous  discharges  have  been  the  result  of 
previous  constipation,  or  dietetic  errors,  and  con- 
sequent irritation  of  the  intestinal  mucous  membrane, 
the  warm  alkaline  sodium  sulphate  waters  of  Carlsbad 
have  often  proved  of  great  service,  and  the  same  has 
been  observed  when  the  diarrhoea  has  been  traceable 
to  disturbed  hepatic  functions.  But  this  treatment 
needs  the  most  careful  and  skilful  supervision,  and 
the  mildest  possible ,  course,  at  starting,  is  usually 


SECT,  c.]  CHRONIC    DIARRHOEA.  423  • 

desirable.  In  cases  where  there  is  a  probability  that 
portions  of  irritating  faecal  matter  are  still  retained  in 
the  bowels,  an  initial  dose  of  castor  oil  is  sometimes 
prescribed.* 

The  somewhat  analogous  waters  of  St.  Gervais, 
in  Savoy,  have  also  been  employed  successfully  in  - 
cases  of  painful  "  enteritis  and  the  dysenteric 
diarrhoeas  of  hot  climates,"  and  the  tonic,  subalpine 
climate  must  be  a  valuable  aid  to  the  recovery  of  such 
cases  at  St.  Gervais. 

The  Vichy  course  has  always  been  regarded  by 
French  authorities  as  of  great  service  in  cases  of 
"  gastro-intestinal  dyspepsia  with  alternation  of  con- 
stipation and  diarrhoea,  and  in  simple  or  muco-mem- 
branous  enteritis."  Dujardin  Beaumetz  maintained  that 
in  the  case  of  chronic  diarrhoea  originating  amongst 
Europeans  in  tropical  countries,  the  only  efficacious 
treatment  consisted  in  restricting  the  patients  to  a  diet 
of  milk  mixed  with  Vichy  water.  Le  Boulou,  in  the 
Eastern  Pyrenees,  with  waters  belonging  to  the  same 
group  as  those  of  Vichy,  are  resorted  to  in  similar 
cases. 

The  very  feebly  mineralised  waters  of  Evian  and 
Alet  have  also  been  found  beneficial  for  the  same 
class  of  patients.  But  the  soothing  influence  of  the 
warm  baths,  of  intestinal  irrigations,  and  of  a  carefully 
ordered  dietary,  are  probably  of  far  more  concern  than 
the  drinking  of  these  feebly  mineralised  waters. 
This  observation  is  suggested  by  a  consideration  of 
the  great  success  which  has  attended  the  treatment 
of  cases  of  chronic  diarrhoea  and  muco-membranous 
colitis  at  Plombieres.  This  spa  has  acquired  quite  a 
special  reputation  in  this  respect,  and  the  drinking 
cure  is  there  regarded  as  altogether  secondary  to  the 
influence  of  the  warm  baths  and  the  local  application 
of  the  warm  water  to  the  irritated  intestine  ;  the 
intestinal  douche  or  "  intestinal  lavage  "  forming  an 
important  part  of  the  treatment. 

*  "  Carlsbad,  its  Thermal  Springs  and  Baths,  and  How  to  Usg 
Them,"  by  Dr.  J.  Kraus, 


424  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i; 

In  " lymphatic"  and  anaemic  cases,  with  general 
debility  of  the  mucous  membranes,  Plombieres  is  not 
suitable,  and  more  tonic  waters  are  to  be  preferred, 
viz.  those  iron  waters  containing  lime  salts  (Forges- 
les-Eaux,  Schwalbach,  St.  Moritz),  or  earthy  cal- 
careous waters  containing  iron  (Driburg,  Antogast, 
Wildungen).  Waters  containing  sulphate  of  iron  or 
sulphate  of  iron  and  arsenic  (Alexisbad,  Levico)  have 
been  recommended  for  the  diarrhoea  of  anaemic  and 
feeble  children. 


DISEASES   OF    THE   LIVER   AND   BILE    DUCTS. 

Mineral  waters  are  found  of  great  service  in  the 
treatment  of  hepatic  disorders. 

Congestion  of  the  liver,  whether  due  to  over- 
feeding, to  alcoholism,  to  insufficient  exercise,  or  to 
malarial  influences,  is  especially  amenable  to  mineral- 
water  treatment.  The  springs  which  are  found  most 
useful  in  the  treatment  of  this  condition  are  the  warm 
alkaline  sodium  sulphate  springs  (Carlsbad,  Brides), 
or  the  cold  ones,  in  obese,  vigorous  patients  with 
constipation  (Marienbad,  Tarasp),  or  the  gaseous 
common  salt  waters  (Kissingen,  Homburg)  :  these 
last  are  more  suitable  to  thin  and  feeble  persons. 
The  simple  alkaline  waters  are  also  very  useful,  and 
those  of  Vichy  are  frequently  prescribed  with  benefit 
in  the  less  vigorous  malarial,  alcoholic,  and  gouty 
patients,  more  particularly  if  there  exists  a  tendency 
to  diarrhoea  rather  than  to  constipation.  In  anaemic 
cases  the  presence  of  a  little  iron  in  the  sodium  sulphate 
waters  of  Elster  or  Franzensbad  renders  them  more 
appropriate  ;  and  in  very  sensitive  persons  the  warm 
alkaline  and  weak  common  salt  springs  of  Ems  may 
prove  of  value. 

The  same  class  of  waters  are  applicable  to  the 
treatment  of  the  large  fatty  liver  of  the  obese.  The 
purgative  "bitter"  waters  are  also  suitable  for  the 
treatment  of  these  cases,  but  they  can  be,  and  are, 
usually  drunk  at  home,  The  waters  of  Harrogate, 


SECT.  C.J  HEPATIC   DISORDERS.  425 

Llandrindod,  Leamington,  and  Cheltenham  can  be 
prescribed  for  the  same  purpose.  Chatelguyon  in 
Auvergne,  and  St.  Gervais  in  Savoy,  are  prescribed 
for  the  same  class  of  patients. 

Early  cases  of  cirrhosis,  with  much  hypertrophy 
in  the  obese  alcoholic,  are  often  very  greatly  benefited 
by  one  or  more  courses  at  Carlsbad  or  Brides  or 
Marienbad,  or  at  one  of  the  other  resorts  of  this 
class  that  have  been  named. 

Cases  of  gallstones^  biliary  sand,  or  inspissated 
bile,  are  treated  with  advantage  at  a  very  great 
number  of  mineral-water  resorts.  One  of  the  indi- 
cations in  these  affections  being  the  dilution  of  the 
bile  so  as  to  promote  its  free  flow  along  the  bile 
ducts,  it  is  obvious  that  many  mineral  springs  may 
rightly  claim  to  have  this  property.  Their  free,  pro- 
longed, systematic  administration  is  one  of  the  reasons 
for  drinking  them  at  their  source  rather  than  at  home. 
The  warm  alkaline  sodium  sulphate  waters  (Carlsbad) 
stand  first  in  repute  for  this  purpose,  and  the  warm 
simple  alkaline  waters  (Vichy,  Neuenahr)  are  of 
nearly  equal  importance.  The  great  number  of 
sufferers  from  gallstones  who  resort  annually  to 
Carlsbad  or  Vichy  bear  testimony  to  the  repute  in 
which  these  springs  are  held. 

The  earthy  or  calcareous  waters,  such  as  Con- 
trexeville,  Vittel,  and  many  others,  are  also  advocated 
for  the  treatment  of  these  cases  when  they  occur  in 
the  gouty  ;  they  are  usually  administered  in  very 
large  doses.  The  same  may  be  said  of  the  feebly 
mineralised  waters  of  Evian.  The  springs  of  Ems 
and  Royat  (alkaline  and  weak  common  salt  springs) 
are  also  used  for  the  treatment  of  the  slighter  cases. 

It  is  generally  considered  desirable  that  the  course 
of  mineral  waters  should  be  repeated  annually  for  a 
few  years  to  prevent  a  return  of  the  malady. 

A  suitable  treatment  for  these  cases  can  be  insti- 
tuted at  home  (if  the  patient  will  consent  to  the 
adoption  at  the  same  time  of  an  appropriate  diet  and 
regime]  by  drinking  several  glasses  daily,  at  prescribed 


426  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

hours,  of  a  mixture  composed  of  one-third  of  one  of 
the  aperient  bitter  waters,  such  as  Apenta  or  Fried- 
richshall,  made  hot,  and  two-thirds  of  an  effervescing 
alkaline  water,  such  as  Bilin,  Apollinaris,  or  one  of 
the  weaker  Vals  springs. 

Chronic  forms  of  jaundice,  when  believed  to  be 
due  to  catarrh  of  the  bile  ducts,  or  associated  with 
biliary  concretions,  require  the  same  kind  of  mineral- 
water  treatment  as  that  pointed  out  above  for  the 
treatment  of  gallstones,  the  warm  alkaline  springs  or 
the  warm  alkaline  sodium  sulphate  springs  being  the 
most  appropriate. 

In  certain  of  these  chronic  forms  of  jaundice,  it 
will  occasionally  happen  that  the  disease  is  due  to 
obstruction  of  a  malignant  nature  which  has  not  been 
diagnosed,  and  such  cases  may  become  rapidly  worse 
when  sent  for  treatment  to  a  Continental  spa  at  a 
distance  from  home.  Such  an  event  often  leads  to 
'  much  discontent,  and  discredit  is  cast  both  on  the  spa 
and  on  the  medical  attendant,  and  pains  should  always 
be  taken  to  avoid,  if  possible,  such  an  occurrence. 

Warm  peat  poultices  have  been  found  serviceable 
in  some  forms  of  hepatic  enlargement  of  gallstones, 
and  of  catarrhal  jaundice. 

DISEASES   OF  THE   RESPIRATORY   ORGANS. 

There  are  certain  chronic  diseases  of  the  respira- 
tory organs  which  are  specially  suited  to  treatment 
by  mineral  waters,  and  these  are  catarrhal  affections 
of  the  upper  air  passages,  such  as  chronic  rhino- 
pharyngitis,  pharyngo-laryngitis,  laryngitis,  tracheitis, 
and  certain  forms  of  chronic  bronchial  catarrh. 
Pulmonary  emphysema,  when  not  too  advanced,  is 
benefited  as  a  result  of  the  relief  afforded  to  the 
bronchial  catarrh  with  which  it  is  commonly 
associated,  and  also  by  the  co-operation  of  pneumatic 
treatment,  which  can  usually  be  obtained  in  the 
localities  in  especial  repute  for  the  treatment  of 
respiratory  affections.  The  forest  air  and  mildly 


SECT.  c.J      RESPIRATORY  AFFECTIONS.  427 

tonic  mountain  air,  at  the  moderate  elevations  at 
which  many  of  these  resorts  are  situated,  undoubtedly 
prove  valuable  accessories.  In  asthma,  especially 
bronchial  asthma,  i.e.  when  the  attacks  are  associated 
with  a  tendency  to  chronic  bronchial  catarrh, 
excellent  results  are  frequently  obtained  by  such 
systematic  treatment  as  is  applied,  for  instance,  at 
Mont  Dore. 

The  mineral  springs  most  commonly  resorted  to 
for  the  treatment  of  these  affections  are,  in  the  first 
place,  the  warm  alkaline  weak  common  salt  waters,  of 
which  Ems  may  be  regarded  as  the  type ;  secondly,  the 
warm  mild  simple  common  salt  waters,  of  which  Soden 
is  a  good  example  ;  thirdly,  the  warm  sulphur  springs, 
especially  the  sodium  sulphide  springs,  as  exemplified 
at  Eaux  Bonnes  in  the  Pyrenees ;  and  the  warm 
sulphur  and  common  salt  springs  such  as  those  of  Aix 
la  Chapelle.  In  a  few  special  cases,  as  we  shall 
presently  see,  the  alkaline  aperient  sodium  sulphate 
waters  (Carlsbad,  etc.)  are  recommended. 

The  petrolated  common  salt  waters  of  Salso 
Maggiore  have  also  recently  been  strongly  recom- 
mended in  the  treatment  of  certain  of  these 
maladies. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  in  the  treatment  of 
these  chronic  respiratory  affections,  it  is  often  of 
much  consequence  that  we  should  select  a  spa  with 
suitable  climatic  surroundings  and  where  the  methods 
applied,  especially  in  connection  with  inhalatory 
treatment,  are  of  the  best  and  newest. 

We  shall  now  pass  on  to  consider  the  mineral- 
water  treatment  of  these  diseases  somewhat  more  in 
detail. 

Cases  of  rhino-pharyngitis,  of  chronic  pharyngitis, 
and  chronic  laryngitis  and  tracheitis  are  all  amenable 
to  the  same  forms  of  mineral-water  treatment.  The 
influence  of  local  spraying  and  douching,  which  are 
practised  at  all  the  resorts  where  these  affections 
are  treated,  and  the  passing  of  some  considerable 
time  daily  in  chambers  specially  arranged  for  the 


428  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

inhalation  of  the  vapour  and  spray,  at  certain  of  these 
spas,  contribute  greatly  to  the  good  results  obtained. 

These  measures  tend  to  soften,  fluidify,  and 
detach  the  sticky  adherent  mucus  and  mucous  crusts 
that  are  prone  to  adhere  to  the  mucous  membrane  in 
these  chronic  maladies  ;  they  also  soothe  the  irritated 
mucous  membrane,  and  some  doubtless  exert  a 
cleansing,  antiseptic  action  and  destroy  or  diminish 
bacterial  activity. 

The  alkaline  chloride  of  sodium  waters  most 
frequently  prescribed  for  these  affections  are  Ems, 
Gleichenberg,  Royat,  La  Bourboule,  and  Mont 
Dore  (the  three  last  containing  arsenic  also)  ;  these 
are  especially  suitable  when  the  secretion  from  the 
mucous  membrane  is  scanty  and  there  is  an  irritative 
cough — the  catarrhe  sec  of  French  writers.  The 
waters  are  drunk  warm,  as  well  as  applied  locally 
as  spray  or  gargle,  and  favour  expectoration  by  their 
solvent  action  on  mucus.  The  arsenic  in  the  Bour- 
boule and  Royat  springs  has  also  a  tonic  effect. 

If  we  also  consider  a  mild  moist  climate  indicated 
we  should  choose  Ems  ;  where  a  more  bracing 
influence  is  desirable  we  may  select  Royat,  La 
Bourboule,  or  Mont  Dore. 

A  great  number  of  professional  speakers  and 
singers — priests,  actors,  operatic  artists — resort  to 
Mont  Dore,  Royat,  and  La  Bourboule — the  last- 
named  is  also  specially  prescribed  by  French  physi- 
cians for  "  lymphatic  "  and  "  herpetic  "  subjects — by 
"  herpetic  "  is  meant  those  patients  who  also  have  a 
marked  tendency  to  cutaneous  eruptions.  Royat  and 
Mont  Dore  (but  particularly  Royat)  are  considered 
most  useful  when  these  affections  occur  in  the  gouty. 

The  simple  mild  chloride  of  sodium  springs,  such 
as  Soden,  Baden-Baden,  Woodhall  Spa,  Reichenhall, 
are  less  useful  in  these  throat  maladies  than  the 
preceding,  and  are  more  frequently  used  for  bronchitic 
affections. 

The  warm  sulphur  springs,  so  serviceable  in  the 
treatment  of  these  diseases,  are  especially  abundant 


SECT,  c.]       RESPIRATORY    AFFECTIONS.  429 

in  France  and  particularly  in  the  Pyrenees ;  Cauterets, 
Eaux  Bonnes,  Luchon,  Le  Vernet  are  perhaps  the  best 
known.  Other  sulphur  spas  in  France,  frequented  for 
the  same  purpose,  are  Marlioz,  close  to  Aix  les  Bains, 
Challes,  Allevard,  near  Grenoble,  St.  Honore,  and 
Enghien,  close  to  Paris.  Weilbach,  in  Hesse-Nassau, 
and  Neundorf,  near  Hanover,  are  cold  sulphur 
springs,  and  these  and  the  warm  sulphur  and  common 
salt  springs  of  Aix  la  Chapelle  are  recommended 
for  the  treatment  of  these  affections,  but  they  are 
not  so  specially  adapted  for  the  purpose  as  those  we 
have  already  named. 

In  Switzerland  the  cold  alkaline  sulphur 
springs  of  Heustrich,  near  the  Lake  of  Thun,  have  a 
special  reputation  for  the  treatment  of  these  throat 
affections,  and  in  a  less  degree  the  warm  sulphur 
springs  of  Schinznach. 

Most  elaborate  methods  have  been  established  at 
Salso  Maggiore  for  the  treatment  of  the  same  class  of 
cases,  and  the  mixed  vapour  and  spray  of  its  petrolated 
salt  water  has  proved  of  much  service  to  many 
sufferers  from  these  troublesome  chronic  throat 
catarrhs. 

CHRONIC  BRONCHIAL  CATARRH,  ETC. 

Perhaps  the  most  serviceable  waters  in  this  disease 
are  the  alkaline  common  salt  waters,  such  as  Ems, 
Gleichenberg,  Royat,  La  Bourboule  (arsenical  also), 
Mont  Dore,  etc.  In  some  cases  the  mild,  moist 
climate  of  Ems,  in  others  the  dryer  climate  of  Royat, 
and  in  others  the  more  bracing  mountain  air  of  La 
Bourboule  or  Mont  Dore  will  be  indicated.  The 
moister  climate  is  advantageous  in  those  cases  with 
scanty  secretion  and  irritative  cough. 

The  local  effect  of  the  warm  spray  of  these 
waters  and  the  influence  of  the  warm  alkaline 
drink  are  alike  beneficial. 

The  mild  sodium  chloride  waters  (or  the  stronger 
ones  diluted)  are  better  suited  to  cases  with  profuse 
secretion,  as  Soden,  Baden-Baden,  Reichenhall, 


430  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

Kissingen,  Ischl.  Besides  the  brine  spray  inhaled, 
the  adjacency  of  pine  woods  and  the  co-existence  of 
pneumatic  and  inhalatory  treatment  at  some  of  these 
resorts  are  useful  aids. 

Weissenberg,  in  Switzerland,  not  far  from  Berne, 
with  tepid  earthy  calcareous  springs,  has  an 
established  reputation  in  the  treatment  of  these  cases 
of  chronic  bronchial  and  laryngeal  catarrh,  but  the 
mildly  bracing  mountain  air,  and  the  adjacency  of 
pine  woods,  exercise  probably  as  much,  or  more 
influence,  than  the  earthy  waters,  in  the  good  results 
obtained. 

The  sulphur  and  the  sulphur  and  salt  waters  have 
hardly  so  great  a  reputation  in  the  treatment  of  chronic 
bronchial  catarrh  as  they  have  in  that  of  catarrh  of 
the  pharynx  and  larynx  ;  they  have,  however,  their 
application  in  the  cases  of  long  standing  bronchial 
catarrh  of  a  torpid  nature,  accompanied  with  abundant 
secretion — the  catarrhe  humide  of  the  French.  Re- 
course can  be  had  to  such  springs  as  Luchon,  Cauterets, 
Eaux  Bonnes,  Amelie,  St.  Honore,  Heustrich,  Schinz- 
nach,  Aix  la  Chapelle,  and  the  like. 

Inhalations  of  sulphuretted  hydrogen  are  applied 
at  some  sulphur  spas  to  allay  irritability  of  the  respira- 
tory mucous  membrane.  Inhalations  also  of  nitrogen, 
obtained  from  some  of  the  earthy  and  calcareous 
springs  (Lippspringe,  Inselbad)  have  been  advocated 
as  beneficial  in  the  treatment  of  chronic  bronchial 
catarrh,  but  it  is  difficult  to  understand  how  they  can 
produce  any  curative  effect. 

The  addition  of  a  little  hot  milk  or  whey  to 
many  of  these  waters  renders  them  more  pleasant  to 
drink,  and  seems  also  often  to  promote  their  bene- 
ficial effects. 

In  cases  of  chronic  bronchial  catarrh  occurring  in 
the  obese  and  plethoric,  in  free  livers,  and  those 
addicted  to  alcohol,  with  a  tendency  to  pulmonary 
and  hepatic  engorgement,  the  alkaline  aperient  sodium 
sulphate  springs  (Carlsbad,  Marienbad,  Tarasp,  Brides) 
or  the  active  sodium  chloride  waters  (Kissingen  or 


SECT,  c.]  ASTHMA.  431 

Homburg)  may  prove  the  most  useful  by  causing 
intestinal  derivation  and  unloading  of  the  portal 
circulation. 

The  stimulating  and  invigorating  tonic  effect  on 
the  skin  of  warm  brine  baths,  followed  in  young 
subjects  with  friction  with  cold  brine,  is  believed  to 
prevent  relapses  by  diminishing  the  sensitiveness  of 
the  surface  to  chill. 

For  home  use,  both  in  acute  and  chronic  catarrhal 
affections  of  the  air  passages,  the  cold  gaseous, 
alkaline  sodium  chloride  waters  of  Apollinaris,  Bilin, 
Selters,  etc.,  mixed  with  a  little  hot  milk  or  whey, 
are  extremely  beneficial  on  account  of  their  solvent 
action  thinning  and  promoting  the  expectoration  of 
viscid  mucus,  and  so  allaying  cough. 

Chronic  emphysema  can  only  be  benefited  by 
mineral  waters  through  their  curative  influence  on 
co-existing  catarrhal  states,  and  to  those  cases  the  same 
indications  apply  as  already  set  forth.  It  is,  how- 
ever, a  decided  advantage,  in  dealing  with  such  cases, 
to  have  the  aid  of  suitable  pneumatic  treatment,  such 
as  is  practised  at  Reichenhall,  and  the  adjacency  of 
pine  woods,  at  moderate  elevations,  is  also  a  gain. 

Asthma. — We  have  entered  so  fully  into  the 
question  of  the  treatment  of  asthma  at  Mont  Dore 
in  our  account  of  that  spa,  that  it  is  not  necessary  to 
dilate  on  that  subj  ect  now.  We  may  add  that  the  bron- 
chitic  cases,  associated  with  pulmonary  emphysema, 
are  often  treated  with  advantage  at  the  sulphur  springs 
of  Luchon,  Cauterets,  Eaux  Bonnes,  and  Amelie  les 
Bains.  Treatment  of  catarrhal  asthma  is  also  under- 
taken at  Inselbad,  close  to  Paderborn,  and  good 
results  have  been  reported. 

A  suitable  "  after-cure  "is  of  great  importance  in 
all  these  respiratory  catarrhal  cases.  Places  of  moderate 
elevation,  with  a  fairly  dry,  sunny  climate,  and 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  pine  woods,  or  places  on  the 
sea  coast  which  are  protected  from  cold  winds  and 
get  much  sunshine,  are  specially  indicated.  A  still 
atmosphere,  with  abundant  sunshine,  is  what  is  needed. 


432  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i 

DISEASES   OF  THE    CIRCULATORY   SYSTEM. 

Until  within  comparatively  recent  years  it  used  to 
be  taught  that  cardiac  maladies  were  counter-indicated 
at  all  baths.  But  in  former  times  all  valvular  cardiac 
diseases  were  looked  upon  with  much  greater  concern 
than  in  the  present  day,  and  it  was  the  custom  to 
give  a  far  graver  prognosis  of  some  forms  of  cardiac 
disease  than  would  now  be  thought  justifiable.  With 
a  much  truer  appreciation  of  the  nature  and  course  of 
such  affections,  a  much  more  hopeful  view  of  their 
therapeutic  management  has  gained  ground,  so  that 
remedial  appliances  are  now  highly  valued  in  cardiac 
therapeutics  which  would  have  been  regarded  as 
attended  with  great  risk  less  than  half  a  century 
ago. 

Not  only  are  cardiac  patients  sent  to  drinking 
cures  for  the  relief  of  collateral  disturbances  of  health, 
whether  they  are  dependent  or  not  on  the  heart 
affection,  but  certain  baths  are  now  largely  resorted 
to  for  their  special  influence  in  relieving  morbid  con- 
ditions referable  directly  to  cardiac  defects,  functional 
and  organic.  Not  only  so,  but  such  natural  baths 
are  now  imitated  artificially,  and  largely  and  success- 
fully applied  at  or  near  home. 

In  the  selection,  however,  of  cases  for  thermal  bath 
treatment,  the  modern  tendency  has  been  to  go  to  the 
other  extreme  and  to  submit  nearly  all  cases  of  cardiac 
disease  to  bath  treatment  and  the  mechanical  methods 
associated  with  it,  and  serious  results  have  naturally 
followed  such  indiscriminate  action.  Moreover,  there 
has  grown  up  a  tendency,  in  connection  with  the 
popularisation  of  these  therapeutic  methods,  to  dis- 
cover the  presence  of  heart  disease  where  none  exists, 
and  many  persons,  within  our  own  knowledge,  have 
been  persuaded  to  undergo  treatment  by  baths  and 
"  resisted  movements  "  for  the  relief  of  cardiac  affec- 
tions which  had  no  existence  ! — neurotic  persons 
readily  lending  themselves  to  these  minutely  detailed 
and  introspective  methods. 


SECT,  c.]  CARDIAC    DISEASES.  433 

In  considering  the  usefulness  and  applicability  of 
mineral  springs  to  the  treatment  of  cardiac  affections, 
it  will  be  convenient  to  refer,  in  the  first  place,  to 
those  waters  which  are  not  credited  with  any  special 
influence  over  these  maladies,  but  are  prescribed  for 
their  beneficial  effect  in  the  removal  of  collateral 
functional  disturbances,  apt  to  be  associated  with 
cardiac  disease. 

In  cases  of  cardiac  hypertrophy,  in  free  livers  with 
threatened  arterial  changes,  and  in  cases  of  right- 
sided  hypertrophy  and  dilatation,  associated  with 
chronic  pulmonary  emphysema,  in  which  our  object 
is  to  relieve  blood  stasis  and  promote  the  regular 
distribution  and  circulation  of  the  blood,  by  unloading 
the  intestinal  veins,  and  so  lessening  the  labour  of 
the  heart,  we  may  have  recourse  to  the  cold  laxa- 
tive alkaline  sodium  sulphate  waters  of  Marienbad, 
Tarasp,  or  Brides,  or  the  cold  sodium  chloride  waters 
of  Harrogate,  Homburg,  or  Kissingen.  The  cold 
springs  are  thought  more  suitable  than  warm  ones, 
because  the  warmth  of  the  latter  may  excite  cardiac 
action  and  may  lead  to  over-filling  of  the  blood 
vessels.  It  is  also  thought  desirable  to  get  rid  of  any 
free  carbonic  acid  there  may  be  in  the  water  by 
stirring  briskly  or  pouring  from  one  glass  to  another, 
again  for  fear  of  over-stimulating  the  action  of  the 
heart. 

The  above  mentioned  waters  may  be  appropriate 
also  in  compensated  valvular  lesions  when  symptoms 
of  venous  stasis  in  the  abdominal  viscera  seem  to 
show  that  compensation  is  in  danger — such  as  gastro- 
intestinal catarrh,  hepatic  enlargement,  haemorrhoids, 
and  menstrual  abnormalities  dependent  on  abdominal 
stasis. 

When  there  is  much  cardiac  excitement  with 
heightened  blood  pressure,  and  when  it  is  important 
to  subdue  quickly  co-existing  symptoms  of  portal 
engorgement,  the  purgative  bitter  waters  are  often  of 
much  service  for  home  use,  as  Apenta,  Friedrichshall, 
Piillna,  etc. 


434  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

In  many  of  these  cases  where  aterio-sclerosis  is 
imminent  it  is  highly  important  to  further  hepatic 
and  intestinal  elimination  as  well  as  to  promote  renal 
excretion ;  for  this  purpose  we  may  combine  the  use 
of  bitter  waters  with  the  use  of  alkaline  common  salt 
waters,  as  Ems,  Neuenahr,  Apollinaris.  They  lessen 
the  work  of  the  heart  by  promoting  diuresis  and 
intestinal  activity.  They  should  be  freed  from 
gaseous  carbonic  acid,  and  in  mild  cases  the  alkaline 
water  may  be  given  in  much  larger  quantity  than  the 
bitter  water,  one  dose  daily  of  the  latter  being  often 
sufficient. 

In  certain  cardiac  neuroses  the  etiological  con- 
dition may  indicate  the  use  of  mineral  waters.  The 
palpitations  associated  with  anaemia  and  chlorosis  at 
puberty  may  be  benefited  by  iron  waters,  such  as 
those  of  Spa,  Schwalbach,  Bocklet,  and  Pyrmont, 
while  the  same  symptom  coming  on  at  the 
climacteric  period,  or  dependent  on  intestinal  torpor, 
may  be  benefited  by  the  aperient  sodium  sulphate 
waters  of  Marienbad,  Brides,  or  Tarasp. 

Hitherto  we  have  referred  only  to  the  drinking  of 
mineral  waters  in  these  cases,  but  it  is  to  the  in- 
fluence of  thermal  baths  in  the  treatment  of  cardiac 
disease  that  attention  has  been  chiefly  directed  of 
late  years,  and  especially  to  the  gaseous  thermal 
brine  baths  of  Nauheim,  which  are  exceptionally 
rich  in  pure  carbonic  acid. 

Similar  springs  are  found  at  Oeynhausen  and 
Rehme,  and  somewhat  similar  ones  at  Salins  Moutiers 
in  Savoy. 

There  can  be  no  doubt  of  the  beneficial  effect  of 
these  thermal  gaseous  salt  springs  in  certain  cases 
of  cardiac  disorder.  The  following  are  the  cases 
which  have  been  shown  by  experience  to  be  most 
benefited  by  bath  treatment  at  Nauheim  : — 

i.  Cases  of  dilatation  of  the  heart  unaccompanied  by 
hypertrophy  and  not  associated  with  any  cardiac  lesion, 
beyond  weakness  of  the  heart  muscle,  brought  about 
either  by  excessive  physical  effort  or  over-work 


SECT,  c.]  CARDIAC    DISEASES.  435 

(heart-strain) ;  or  occurring  as  the  result  of  toxic 
action,  as  in  the  post-in  fluenzal  cases ;  or  following 
attacks  of  rheumatic  endocarditis  in  young  people. 
These  are  the  cases  that  do  especially  well  at 
Nauheim. 

2.  Valvular  disease,   in   the   early   stage   and  in 
young  people,  in  which  compensation  has  not  been 
thoroughly  established  or  in   which   it  appears,  for 
some  reason,  to  have  become  temporarily  disturbed. 

3.  It  has  been  stated  by  those  who   have   had 
large  opportunities  of  observing  cases  of  convalescence 
from  attacks  of  acute  rheumatism,  that  during   the 
prolonged   period  of  rest  which   should  always  be 
enjoined  after  such   illnesses   a  course  of  Nauheim 
baths  will,  at  this  period,  do  more  than  rest  alone 
to  prevent  the  occurrence  of  valvular  lesions ;  that 
while   undergoing  this   treatment  murmurs  will   be 
observed  to  disappear.     But  it  must  be  borne  in  mind 
that,  in  these  recent  cases,  murmurs  will  also  dis- 
appear under  suitable  treatment  at  home. 

Physical  examination  appears  to  show  that  in 
cases  of  simple  dilation  from  muscular  asthenia,  and 
in  dilation  the  result  of  valvular  lesion,  imperfectly 
compensated,  the  baths  determine  a  diminution  in  the 
size  of  the  heart  by  restoration  of  muscular  tone,  and 
this  result  is  explained  by  the  following  considera- 
tions : — The  effect  of  the  bath  is  at  first  to  cause 
constriction  of  the  cutaneous  vessels  and  a  consequent 
rise  of  blood  pressure,  which  quickly  passes  away  and 
is  succeeded  by  flushing  of  the  skin  through  dilata- 
tion of  superficial  aterioles — this  change  is  referred  to 
the  stimulating  effect  on  the  skin  of  the  constituents 
of  the  water,  especially  the  free  carbonic  acid  and 
the  sodium  and  calcium  chlorides,  the  latter  salt 
being  credited  with  a  highly  exciting  effect.  It  is 
argued  that  this  freer  distribution  of  blood  to  the  skin 
must  lead  to  a  withdrawal  of  blood  from  the  deeper 
seated  tissues  and  therefore  to  an  acceleration  of  the 
circulation  through  them  ;  that  by  the  dilatation  of 
the  peripheral  vessels  the  strain  on  the  heart  is 


456  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PAPT   i 

lightened,  the  over-distension  of  its  cavities  is 
removed,  and  it  is  rendered  fitter  for  the  work 
it  has  to  do — as  a  consequence  the  heart  beat  is 
strengthened  and  slowed,  and  the  area  of  cardiac 
dulness  is  often  notably  diminished.*  The  slowing  of 
the  heart  beat,  notwithstanding  the  vascular  dilatation, 
has  been  hypothetically  explained  by  referring  it  to  a 
reflex  stimulation  of  the  cardiac  regulator  nerves. 

4.  This  treatment  is  also  stated  to  have  been 
found  useful  in  certain  cardiac  neuroses,  especially  in 
cases  of  pseudo-  or  vaso-motor  angina,  due  to  arterial 
spasm,  and  occurring  often  in  gouty  subjects  from  the 
presence  of  irritating  substances  in  the  blood.  The 
heart  is  assumed  to  be  sound,  but  submitted  to 
sudden  and  severe  strain  by  more  or  less  suddenly 
increased  arterial  resistance — in  these  cases  the 
Nauheim  bath  acts,  as  has  been  seen,  by  dilating  the 
superficial  arterioles  and  so  diminishing  excessive  blood 
pressure. 

It  is,  however,  very  doubtful  if  this  treatment 
should  ever  be  applied  to  cases  of  true  angina;  in 
such  cases  it  is  best  to  avoid  all  spa  treatment  and 
the  fatigue  of  long  journeys,  and  even  in  the  vaso- 
motor  forms  the  greatest  possible  caution  is  needful, 
and  it  is  questionable  whether  other  spas  are  not 
more  suitable  to  these  cases  than  Nauheim. 

At  Nauheim  and  elsewhere,  where  artificial 
Nauheim  baths  are  used,  it  is  the  custom  to  apply 
also  what  are 'termed  "  resistance  exercises,"  which 
we  have  described  elsewhere.t  These  are  applied 
either  during  or  after  the  course  of  baths.  We  are  not 
satisfied  that  these  are  of  any  great  use — and  it  has 
been  recorded  by  those  who  had  experience  of  the 
Nauheim  treatment,  before  these  movements  were 
introduced,  that  as  good  results  were  obtained  then 
as  now. 

*  We  have  shown  that  the  effect  on  the  respiration  has,  in  many 
instances,  a  marked  influence  in  diminishing  the  area  of  cardiac 
dulness  on  percussion.  "  Manual  of  Medical  Treatment,"  new 
edition,  vol.  i.,  p.  398. 

f  "  Manual  of  Medical  Treatment,"  new  edition,  vol.  i.,  p.  400. 


SECT,  c.]  CARDIAC    DISEASES.  437 

It  must  also  be  borne  in  mind  that  all  baths  con- 
taining much  free  carbonic  acid — such  as  the  gaseous 
chalybeate  baths — exercise  a  powerful  stimulating 
effect  on  the  skin  :  they  promote  diuresis  and  general 
metabolism,  and  so  exert  a  tonic  effect  on  the  heart 
and  tend  to  relieve  cardiac  dilatation. 

Gentle  stimulation  of  the  surface  and  promotion 
of  the  cutaneous  circulation  by  simple  thermal  baths, 
cautiously  applied,  has  proved  of  service  in  cases 
where  the  heart  has  been  left  weak  and  irritable 
after  attacks  of  acute  rheumatism  attended  with 
myocarditis,  endocarditis,  or  pericarditis. 

But  the  value  of  the  Nauheim  treatment  has  been 
seriously  questioned  by  such  eminent  authorities  as 
Huchard,  of  Paris,  who  states  that  he  has  seen  most 
grievous  consequences  result  from  its  indiscriminate 
application.  These  carbonic  acid  baths,  he  maintains, 
are  dangerous  in  certain  cases,  and  he  instances  death 
from  apoplexy  as  occurring  not  rarely  as  a  conse- 
quence of  this  treatment.  He  continues,  "  Even 
this  year*  I  have  seen  three  patients  affected  with 
arterial  cardiopathy  whose  condition  was  consider- 
ably aggravated  by  the  Nauheim  cure,  and  who  died 
in  Paris,  two  from  morbid  conditions  due  to  vaso- 
constriction  and  arterial  hypertension,  and  the  third 
from  a  violent  attack  of  acute  cedema  of  the  lung." 
He  refers  these  serious  consequences  to  the  action 
hypertensive  of  the  carbonic  acid  baths — an  effect 
which  has  been  observed  to  last  for  one  or  two  hours 
or  even  longer  after  the  bath.  He  therefore  urges 
that  in  the  condition  he  terms  "  presclerose "  and 
in  all "  arterial  cardiopathies  "  characterised  by  hyper- 
tension, the  Nauheim  treatment  is  formally  counter- 
indicated,  and  he  very  pertinently  points  out  that 
this  treatment  is  quite  without  any  anti-toxic  or 
eliminative  action.  He  would  reserve  its  application 
for  cases  of  valvular  disease  with  persistently  low 
arterial  tension. 

*  "  La  Medication  Hypertensive."    Rev ue du  Therapeutique  Medico- 
Clrirurgicale  {  1903. 


438  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  r. 

Huchard,  however,  advocates  thermal  baths  in 
the  treatment  of  cardiac  affections,  and  considers 
that  they  exercise  an  important  influence  on  the 
central  organs  of  the  circulation  by  their  thermality 
causing  hypersemia  of  the  skin  and  having  a  vaso- 
dilator effect  on  the  peripheral  circulation  ;  he  also 
thinks  it  important  to  select  a  resort  having  waters  of 
high  or  varied  temperature,  which,  when  taken  inter- 
nally, exert  an  anti-uricsemic  action,  and  so  lower 
arterial  tension.  He  considers  the  springs  of 
Bourbon  Lancy  especially  indicated  in  these  cases  of 
arterial  hypertension. 

There  are  many  other  spas  in  France  which 
claim  to  be  of  use  to  the  cardiac  invalid,  and 
especially  Aix  les  Bains,  where  they  specify  the 
following  cases  as  suitable  for  thermal  treatment  :— 

(1)  Endocarditic  lesions  at  their  onset,  if  possible 
in  the  month  following  the  acute  attack. 

(2)  Cases  of  recent    origin — a  few  months  to  a 
year — that  are  subject  to  frequent  recurrences  of  acute 
or  sub-acute  articular  rheumatism,    and   which  are 
therefore  constantly  threatened  with  fresh  cardiac 
mischief. 

(3)  Older  cases  with  good  and  regular  compensa- 
tion.    But  no  cases  with  endarteritis,  or  degeneration 
of  the  cardiac  muscle,  or  with  visceral  complication 
from    failing   compensation,  or  over  sixty  years  of 
age,  should  be  sent  there. 

At  Aix,  in  addition  to  the  douche  massage  for 
which  it  is  noted,  artificial  Nauheim  baths  are  pre- 
pared, and  mechanical  exercises,  according  to  the 
Zander  system,  are  made  use  of. 

This  combined  method  is  reported  to  have  yielded 
excellent  results  in  cases  of  recent  origin. 

At  Uriage  cases  of  recent  endocarditis  are  said  to 
be  favourably  modified,  especially  in  children.  The 
same  remark  applies  to  La  Motte. 

At  Bagnols,  with  warm  sulphur  baths,  at  an 
elevation  of  about  2,500  feet,  they  treat  the  same 
class  of  cases  as  at  Aix,  but  they  extend  the  indica- 


SECT,  c.]  CARDIAC    DISEASES.  439 

tion  to  cases  of  arterio-sclerosis  at  its  commencement, 
to  cases  of  commencing  failure  of  accommodation,  and 
to  cases  of  fatty  heart. 

At  Aulus,  which  is  situated  at  about  the  same 
elevation  as  Bagnols,  they  treat  early  cases  of 
arterio-sclerosis  and  the  "  renal "  heart,  and  also 
cardiac  neuroses  and  the  fatty  heart. 

At  Ax  les  Thermes  they  treat  arterio-sclerosis, 
phlebitis,  and  varicose  veins,  and  the  first  of  these 
diseases  is  also  treated  at  Evian.  At  Bagnoles  de 
1'Orne  the  various  forms  of  phlebitis  and  diseases  of 
the  veins  are  specially  treated. 

Brides  les  Bains,  with  its  laxative  eliminant  water, 
combined  with  the  adjacent  gaseous  salt  baths  of 
Salins  Moutiers,  possesses  a  combination  of  resources 
of  undoubted  value  in  certain  forms  of  circulatory 
disorders — the  commencement  of  arterial-hyperten- 
sion and  arterio-sclerosis  cases,  with  threatened  failure 
of  compensation,  cases  of  fatty  heart  in  the  obese 
with  symptoms  of  abdominal  plethora,  enlarged  liver 
and  portal  engorgement. 

It  will  be  seen  by  the  foregoing  and  by  reference  to 
the  descriptions  in  Section  B  of  the  spas  here  alluded 
to,  that  mineral  waters  and  baths  have  come  to  take 
a  place  of  some  importance  in  cardiac  therapeutics, 
and  that  the  presence  of  compensated  valvular  lesions 
does  not  necessarily  counter-indicate  the  prescription 
of  chalybeate  warm  baths  for  co-existing  anaemic 
states,  or  of  aperient  eliminative  waters  for  hepatic  or 
abdominal  venous  congestion,  or  of  alkaline  diuretic 
waters  in  states  of  uricaemia.  We  claim  also  that  in 
cases  of  arterio-sclerosis  the  eliminant  laxative  and 
diuretic  springs  are  of  value  in  that  they  not  only  get 
rid  of  toxic  substances  that  may  be  circulating  in  the 
blood,  but  by  unloading  the  intestinal  veins  they 
tend  to  relieve  vascular  tension  and  promote  a  better 
distribution  of  the  circulating  fluid,  especially  when 
aided  by  the  stimulating  influence  of  thermal  baths 
on  the  peripheral  circulation.  When  we  have  to  deal 
with  these  cases  in  the  obese  and  muscularly  vigorous 


440  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I. 

patients  the  alkaline  sodium  sulphate  waters  are 
indicated  (Marienbad,  Tarasp,  Brides),  but  in  the 
thin  and  less  vigorous  the  sodium  chloride  waters  of 
Kissingen  or  those  of  Bourbon  Lancy  may  be  more 
appropriate.  In  all  cardiac  cases  much  caution  is 
needed,  and  it  is  desirable  to  have  some  experience 
of  the  patient's  capacities  of  re-action  and  the  degree 
of  compensation  which  exists,  before  determining 
whether  or  not  the  case  is  suitable  to  thermal 
treatment.  It  should  also  be  remembered  that  some 
nervous  cardiac  patients  are  particularly  sensitive 
to  thermal  baths,  and  feel  much  exhaustion  after 
their  use — when  this  is  the  case  it  is  advisable  not  to 
prescribe  them. 

RENAL   AND   URINARY   DISORDERS. 

Mineral  waters  prove  of  great  utility  in  the  treat- 
ment of  many  affections  which  fall  under  this  head. 
The  earthy  calcareous  waters  come  into  especial 
prominence  in  the  treatment  of  urinary  concretions 
and  the  morbid  conditions  of  the  bladder  and  urinary 
passages  associated  therewith. 

Contrexeville,  Vittel,  Martigny,  Wildungen  are 
largely  resorted  to  by  sufferers  from  these  maladies. 
The  very  feebly  mineralised  waters  of  Evian  have 
also  a  great  reputation  in  the  same  class  of  cases. 

The  class  of  simple  alkaline  waters,  as  exemplified 
by  Vichy,  Vals,  and  Neuenahr,  retain  the  popularity 
they  have  for  many  years  enjoyed  in  the  treatment 
of  urinary  concretions,  and  although  at  one  time  the 
idea  of  an  "alkaline  cachexia"  being  attributable  to 
the  too  free  use  of  Vichy  waters,  advanced  by  Trous- 
seaux, led  to  their  replacement  largely  by  waters  of 
the  earthy  calcareous  class,  this  idea  is  no  longer 
believed  to  be  tenable,  and  their  ancient  reputation 
has  been  quite  regained. 

The  alkaline  and  mild  sodium  chloride  waters, 
like  those  of  Ems  and  Royat,  are  preferable  in  certain 
cases  requiring  very  mild  treatment,  while  in  others 


SECT,  c.]  RENAL    DISEASES.  441 

the  alkaline  and  sodium  sulphate  waters  of  Carlsbad, 
Marienbad,  or  Tarasp  are  to  be  preferred.  In  selecting 
a  suitable  spring,  much  must  necessarily  depend  on 
the  constitution  of  the  patient,  the  cause  of  the 
malady,  and  the  co-existence  of  other  morbid  states. 
The  occurrence  of  uric  acid  gravel  and  calculi,  asso- 
ciated with  the  gouty  constitution,  often  depends  on 
a  disorder  of  the  hepatic  functions,  and  the  appro- 
priate treatment  must  include  measures  directed  to 
restore  healthy  action  of  the  liver.  For  such  cases 
the  alkaline  sodium  sulphate  waters  (Carlsbad)  or  the 
warm  simple  alkaline  waters  (Vichy)  may  be  most 
appropriate,  the  former  when  there  is  a  tendency  to 
constipation  and  haemorrhoids. 

The  free  use  of  the  alkaline  waters,  and  also  of 
the  calcareous  springs  in  case  of  renal  gravel  and 
calculi  (uric  acid),  often  leads  to  the  passage  of 
numerous  concretions,  and  this  is  dependent  not  on 
any  solvent  action  of  the  water,  as  was  at  one  time 
supposed,  but  on  its  diuretic  action  and  a  mechanical 
flushing  of  the  urinary  passages.  The  alkaline  waters 
also  tend  to  reduce  the  acidity  of  the  urine  and 
maintain  it  neutral  or  slightly  alkaline,  and  to  prevent 
the  re-formation  of  concretions.  The  action  of  the 
stronger  alkaline  waters  should  be  carefully  watched, 
so  that  the  urine  may  not  be  rendered  too  alkaline 
and  the  risk  of  phosphatic  precipitation  be  incurred. 

The  alkaline  waters  are  also  most  useful  in  the 
treatment  of  catarrhal  conditions  of  the  renal  pelvis, 
and  of  the  urinary  passages,  when  caused  by  uric  acid 
deposits  and  hyperacidity  of  the  urine,  for,  as  has 
been  pointed  out,  the  "  abundant  and  long  continued 
drinking  of  those  waters  "  renders  the  urine  neutral 
or  alkaline,  lessens  the  irritation  of  the  acid  urine, 
liquefies  the  mucus,  and  influences  favourably  the 
diseased  mucous  membrane. 

But  when  the  mucous  secretion  is  profuse  and  the 
disease  very  chronic  (chronic  pyelitis),  the  earthy 
calcareous  waters  may  prove  more  serviceable  (Wild- 
ungen,  Driburg,  Contrexeville),  and,  indeed,  they  can 


4*2  MINERAL    SPRINGS  [PART  i. 

always  be  regarded  as  an  alternative  to  the  alkaline 
waters,  and  preferable  to  them  in  all  those  cases  that 
do  not  well  tolerate  alkaline  remedies.  The  use  of 
Evian  water  applies  to  the  same  cases.  It  is  appro- 
priate to  those  individuals  in  whom  we  desire  to  effect 
a  simple  flushing  of  the  urinary  tracts  and  a  dilution 
of  the  urine. 

In  cases  of  great  irritability  of  the  vescial  mucous 
membrane,  prolonged  simple  thermal  baths  (Wildbad, 
Ragatz)  combined  with  the  internal  use  of  some 
mild  gaseous  alkaline  water  (Bilin,  Apollinaris, 
Giesshubel)  has  a  sedative  and  soothing  effect. 

Neither  the  alkaline  nor  the  earthy  waters  should 
be  prescribed  in  cases  of  phosphate  concretions,  but 
springs  rich  in  free  carbonic  acid,  and  containing  only 
nominal  quantities  of  sodium  bicarbonate  and  sodium 
chloride  (Selters,  Johannis,  Bussang)  are  useful. 

In  the  case  of  concretions  of  oxalates  we  may 
prescribe  the  free  consumption,  for  long  periods,  of 
the  mild  gaseous  simple  alkaline  waters  (Bilin, 
Apollinaris,  Giesshubel),  and  in  the  home  treatment 
of  uric  acid  deposits  these  or  the  weaker  Vals  springs, 
with  occasional  aperient  doses  of  a  "  bitter  water," 
prove  of  great  service. 

The  imported  water  of  Luhatschowitz,  containing 
bicarbonate  and  chloride  of  sodium  and  much  free 
carbonic  acid,  has  been  strongly  recommended  for 
home  use  in  these  cases. 

Prostatic  irritation  and  hypertrophy,  when  asso- 
ciated with  uric  acid  deposits,  is  sometimes  greatly 
relieved  and  reduced  by  a  Vichy  course. 

Albuminuria. — Although  mineral  waters  prove  so 
useful  in  the  case  of  renal  gravel,  calculi,  and  in 
catarrhal  conditions  of  the  urinary  passages,  we  must 
not  expect  much  benefit  from  their  use  in  cases  of 
albuminuria  dependent  on  renal  disease. 

In  cases  of  gouty  kidney  (interstitial  nephritis}  in 
the  early  stage,  with  slight  albuminuria,  mineral-water 
treatment,  directed  to  the  relief  of  the  gouty  state, 
may  be  of  service,  and  by  correcting  the  gouty  state 


SECT,  c.]  ALBUMINURIA.  443 

may  cause  the  albumen  to  disappear ;  but  any  such 
treatment  must  be  carried  out  with  great  care  and 
caution,  and  we  must  see  that  the  mineral  water 
ingested  is  freely  excreted  by  the  kidneys,  for  if  this 
is  not  the  case  there  is  the  risk  of  increasing  arterial 
pressure,  which  we  should  do  our  best  to  avoid  in 
these  cases,  as  arterio-sclerosis  is  often  present,  and 
almost  always  impending. 

In  albuminuria,  dependent  on  digestive  disturb- 
ance (a  condition  not  so  common  as  some  seem  to 
imagine),  mineral  waters  directed  to  the  relief  of  the 
dyspeptic  condition  may  be  useful. 

French  physicians  seem  to  have  much  confidence 
in  the  usefulness  of  mineral  waters  in  albuminuria. 
Functional  albuminuria  is  reported  to  be  cured  at 
St.  Nectaire  le  Haut,  and  at  Pougues — not  only 
functional  forms,  but  nephritic  cases  are  claimed  as 
appropriate  for  treatment  at  those  spas.  Of  other 
French  spas  which  claim  to  be  indicated  in  certain 
forms  of  albuminuria,  we  may  mention  Royat,  Evian, 
Brides,  Martigny,  and  Chatelguyon. 

The  waters  of  Contrexeville  have  been  reputed  as 
useful  in  the  nocturnal  incontinence  of  urine  in 
children. 

DISEASES   OF   THE   NERVOUS   SYSTEM. 

There  are  many  diseases  of  the  nervous  system 
which  are  obviously  quite  unsuited  to  treatment  by 
mineral  waters  and  baths,  and  to  these  we  need  not 
refer ;  there  are  others  in  which  bath  treatment  is 
permissible,  but  not  very  hopeful,  and  still  a  few 
others  in  which  treatment  at  natural  thermal  baths 
proves  advantageous. 

In  most  of  these  cases  it  is  the  bath  treatment— the 
external  treatment  and  not  the  internal  use  of  the 
mineral  waters — that  is  mainly  relied  upon,  and  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  much  of  the  benefit  experienced 
at  the  spas  to  which  these  cases  resort  is  to  be 
attributed  to  the  accessory  means  there  applied — 


444  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

to  the  electrical  appliances,  the  mechanical  measures, 
such  as  massage,  re-educating  movements,  regulated 
exercises,  and  proper  periods  of  rest,  and  the  appro- 
priate diet — as  well  as  to  the  co-operation  of  a  suitable 
tonic  and  sedative  climate.  It  is  to  the  whole  system 
of  detailed  attention  and  skilful  supervision  and 
management,  and  the  perfection  of  the  physical 
resources  at  the  disposal  of  the  physicians  at  these  ^ 
resorts,  that  the  good  results,  not  unfrequently  ob- 
tained, must  be  referred. 

Even  in  certain  chronic  cases  of  structural  nervous 
lesions,  where  little  or  no  permanent  benefit  can  be 
looked  for,  the  patient,  and  the  patient's  friends,  are 
naturally  not  content  to  relinquish  all  hope  of 
amelioration,  and  when  it  is  clear  that  no  harm  can 
accrue  from  bath  treatment,  it  is  permissible  to  allow 
such  cases  the  satisfaction  of  some  hopeful  anticipa- 
tions, and  the  feeling  that  nothing  has  been  left 
untried.  We  shall  now  mention,  briefly,  the  principal 
nervous  affections  in  which  bath  treatment  has  been 
recommended. 

Chronic  paralysis  and  painful  contractions  follow- 
ing cerebral  haemorrhage. — These  cases  are  not  very 
hopeful  ones,  and  it  is  generally  admitted  that  bath 
treatment  should  not  be  undertaken  until  several 
months  have  elapsed  since  the  acute  attack.  The 
object  of  treatment  is  to  maintain  nutrition  and  tone 
in  the  affecte4d  muscles,  to  allay  nervous  and 
circulatory  irritability,  to  relieve  painful  spasm,  and  to 
promote  the  general  health.  The  indifferent  or  simple 
thermal  springs  and  the  mild  sodium  chloride  springs 
are  those  mainly  resorted  to.  In  France,  Neris 
(simple  thermal)  has  a  special  reputation,  so  has 
Bourbon  1'Archambaut  (mild  warm  sodium  chloride). 
In  the  latter  it  is  suggested  that  the  original  lesion 
should  not  be  severe,  and  that  the  case  should  not  be 
sent  there  until  after  the  inflammatory  stage  has 
disappeared,  and  before  atrophy  and  definite  contrac- 
tions have  set  in.  The  somewhat  stronger  warm 
sodium  chloride  springs  of  Balaruc,  close  to  Cette,  on 


SECT,  c.]  PARALYSIS.  445 

the  Mediterranean  coast,  also  enjoys  a  reputation  for 
the  treatment  of  such  cases  ;  it  is,  however,  pointed 
out  that  the  "cure"  must  be  directed  with  "ex- 
treme prudence  "  on  the  part  of  the  medical  attendant, 
and  should  not  be  undertaken  till  long  after  the 
haemorrhagic  attack,  and  when  all  risk  of  recurrence 
is  absent. 

Cases  of  the  same  kind  are  also  treated  at 
Gastein,  Ragatz,  Wildbad,  and  Teplitz. 

Cases  of  cerebral  hypercemia  with  "  apoplectic 
tendencies"  are  not  very  suitable  subjects  for  spa 
treatment,  but  the  aperient  "  bitter  waters "  or  the 
alkaline  sodium  sulphate  waters  have  been  recom- 
mended as  "intestinal  derivatives" — but  these  can 
be  taken  at  home. 

Paralysis  referable  to  spinal  disease,  and 
especially  when  due  to  "  cold  "  or  rheumatic  affec- 
tion of  the  spinal  meninges,  or  the  sequel  of  acute 
disease ;  paraplegia,  recent,  and  particularly  when 
due  to  chronic  myelitis  of  rheumatic  origin,  and 
spasmodic  paraplegia ;  these  are  treated  at  such 
simple  thermal  baths  as  Buxton,  Bath,  Neris,  Plom- 
bieres,  Ragatz,  Gastein,  Schlangenbad,  and  also  at 
some  thermal  common  salt  and  gaseous  common 
salt  baths,  Bourbonne,  Balaruc,  Nauheim,  according 
as  sedative  or  stimulating  effects  are  desired — also  at 
the  feebly  mineralised  warm  springs  of  La  Malou 
and  Bagneres-de-Bigorre. 

At  Neris  it  is  maintained  that  the  "cure  "  there  is 
beneficial  to  cases  of  general  paralysis  at  its  onset, 
and  to  those  of  progressive  muscular  atrophy  if 
adopted  at  the  earliest  manifestations.  But  it  may 
be  doubted  if  these  diseases  are  ever  greatly  bene- 
fited by  thermal  treatment. 

Locomotor  ataxy  or  tabes  is  claimed  to  be 
amenable  to  thermal  treatment  at  many  Continental 
spas.  La  Malou,  in  France,  has  a  very  widespread 
reputation  for  the  treatment  of  this  affection, 
which  was  greatly  contributed  to  by  the  advocacy 
of  the  late  Professor  Charcot.  It  is  maintained  by 


446  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

the  local  physicians  that  the  painful  symptoms 
—the  lightning  pains,  the  visceral  crises,  the  loss  of 
power  of  the  sphincters  and  the  greater  part  of  the 
trophic  disturbances  and  the  general  debility — are 
efficaciously  dealt  with  there,  and  that  the  motor 
inco-ordination  is  beneficially  modified  by  the  thermal 
treatment  combined  with  the  re-education  exercises. 

It  is  mainly  ito  the  influence  of  the  external 
application  of  the  waters  that  the  good  effects  are 
referred,  and  the  internal  use  of  the  waters  is  quite 
secondary.  Neris  also  claims  that  the  sedative  action 
of  its  baths  exercises  a  very  beneficial  effect  on  those 
cases  of  tabes  in  which  the  painful  and  excitable 
symptoms  predominate. 

Bagneres-de-Bigorre  has  been  recommended  in 
cases  of  incipient  tabes. 

The  simple  thermal  waters  of  Ragatz,  Gastein, 
and  Wildbad  have  also  been  found  useful.  Re-educa- 
tion exercises,  to  remedy  the  motor  inco-ordination, 
are  practised  at  most  of  these  spas. 

In  early  cases,  but  when  the  painful  manifestations 
have  ceased,  the  warm  sodium  chloride  springs,  and 
even  the  stimulating  gaseous  sodium  chloride  waters, 
have  been  found  of  service  at  Bourbon  1'Archam- 
baut,  Bourbonne  les  Bains,  Balaruc,  Droitwich, 
Nauheim,  and  Oeynhausen. 

The  warm  mud  baths  of  St.  Amand  have  been 
found  useful  in  relieving  the  lightning  pains  of  tabes 
in  many  instances. 

In  cases  that  can  be  distinctly  referred  to 
syphilis,  much  benefit  may  be  derived  from  treatment 
at  the  thermal  sulphur  and  salt  baths,  as  at  Aix  la 
Chapelle  and  Uriage,  combined  with  specific  treat- 
ment, which  can  be  applied  so  much  more  freely  at 
these  spas.  We  may  say  here  that  all  affections  of 
the  nervous  system  of  syphilitic  origin,  like  other 
manifestations  of  constitutional  syphilis,  can  be 
advantageously  treated  at  these  spas  and  by  the  same 
methods. 

Neuritis  (and  consequent  loss  of  muscular  power), 


SECT,  c.]     NEURITIS    AND.  NEURALGIAS.  447 

peripheral  and  multiple,  due  to  alcoholic,  metallic, 
or  other  intoxication,  or  to  cold  (rheumatic)  or  to 
injury,  may  be  benefited  by  suitable  thermal  treat- 
ment. The  simple  thermal  baths  in  cases  that 
require  sedative  treatment  —  Buxton,  Bath,  Neris, 
Ragatz,  Schlangenbad ;  in  those  requiring  more 
stimulating  treatment  we  may  prescribe  warm  sulphur 
baths,  as  Aix  les  Bains,  Aix  la  Chapelle,  and  others, 
or  warm  sodium  chloride  baths  at  Droitwich,  Bour- 
bonne  les  Bains,  Kissingen,  etc.  In  the  cases  due  to 
metallic  intoxication  (lead,  mercury,  etc.)  the  warm 
sulphur  or  sulphur  and  sodium  chloride  baths  are 
especially  indicated. 

Chronic  neuralgias  of  various  origin,  whether  due 
to  toxic  affections,  to  constitutional  states,  to  anaemic 
conditions,  or  to  inflammation  of  the  great  nerves  or 
their  sheaths,  are  frequently  submitted  to  thermal 
treatment,  and  sciatica  perhaps  more  frequently  than 
any  other  form.  Massage,  douching,  and  electricity 
are  employed  as  auxiliary  influences  in  many 
instances.  Cases  of  rheumatic,  gouty  or  syphilitic 
nature  are  usually  sent  to  thermal  sulphur  baths — 
Aix  les  Bains,  Aix  la  Chapelle,  St.  Sauveur,  Acqui— 
or  to  the  thermal  salt  baths,  Bourbonne  les  Bains, 
Balaruc,  Droitwich,  Wiesbaden. 

Cases  requiring  more  soothing  treatment  are 
directed  to  simple  thermal  baths,  as  Bath,  Buxton, 
Gastein,  Ragatz,  Plombieres,  Neris,  or  to  the  feebly 
mineralised  thermal  baths  of  La  Malou  or  Bagneres- 
de-Bigorre.  The  mud  baths  of  Dax  have  been  found 
serviceable  in  some  cases. 

The  anaemic  forms  may  be  treated  with  the  baths 
and  chalybeate  waters  of  Spa,  Schwalbach,  or 
Franzensbad. 

In  some  cases  of  sciatica  associated  with  habitual 
constipation  and  abdominal  stasis  the  laxative  waters 
(with  hot  mineral  or  mud  baths)  of  Carlsbad,  Brides, 
Marienbad,  or  Kissingen  may  be  most  appropriate. 

Cases  of  infantile  paralysis  are  not  frequently 
submitted  to  spa  treatment,  but  it  is  stated  that 


448  MINERAL    SPRINGS  [PART  t. 

benefit  is  derived  from  the  methods  applied  at 
Bourbon  1'Archambaut,  Bourbonne  les  Bains,  and 
Bareges. 

The  various  neuroses  and  functional  nervous  dis- 
turbances are  usually  best  dealt  with  at  spas  situated 
at  moderate  elevations  in  mountainous  or  forest 
regions,  where  a  soothing  as  well  as  mildly  bracing 
treatment  can  be  applied. 

Hysteria  and  its  chronic  manifestations,  paralysis, 
contractions,  etc.,  neurasthenia,  insomnia,  some  forms 
of  chorea  and  professional  spasm,  as  writer  s  cramp, 
etc.,  are  often  beneficially  affected  by  treatment 
at  St.  Gervais,  St.  Sauveur,  Evian,  Plombieres, 
Buxton,  Gastein,  Schlangenbad,  Bagneres-de-Bigorre, 
La  Malou,  and  others. 

CUTANEOUS   DISEASES. 

There  are  many  mineral  springs  which  have  a  con- 
siderable reputation  for  the  treatment  of  skin  diseases, 
especially  the  sulphur  springs,  warm  and  cold,  as 
Luchon,  Schinznach,  Strathpeffer,  Harrogate,  and  the 
sulphur  and  sodium  chloride  springs,  as  Uriage,  Aix  la 
Chapelle,  Acqui,  Herculesbad ;  also  the  arsenical 
and  alkaline  springs  of  La  Bourboule  and  Royat,  and 
the  iron  and  arsenical  water  of  Levico  ;  and  in  a 
minor  degree  the  simple  thermal  or  thermal  earthy 
spas,  as  Bath,  Schlangenbad,  and  particularly  Leuker- 
bad.  When  for  the  accompanying  constitutional  state 
or  disorder  alkaline  or  saline  waters  are  indicated,  the 
French  physicians  prescribe  such  spas  as  Vichy, 
Royat,  and  Le  Boulou,  or  Evaux  and  La  Mouillere. 
In  some  cases  the  mud  baths  of  St.  Amand  are 
thought  useful. 

It  is,  of  course,  important  to  consider  any  co- 
existing constitutional  disease  or  tendency  which  may 
be  of  etiological  importance;  for  instance  in  some 
gouty  cases  the  alkaline  sodium  sulphate  waters  of 
Carlsbad  may  be  indicated. 

Many    skin    diseases    are    associated    with    the 


SECT,  c.j  CUTANEOUS    DISEASES.  449 

rheumatic  and  gouty  constitutions,  and  it  will  be 
noted  that  many  of  the  spas  which  are  recommended, 
in  the  treatment  of  skin  affections,  are  precisely  those 
which  are  found  useful  in  the  treatment  of  chronic 
rheumatism  and  gout. 

To  many  others  scrofula  is  believed  to  have  a 
causal  relation,  and  for  these  the  sodium  chloride,  and 
the  sulphur  and  sodium  chloride,  baths  are  considered 
most  appropriate. 

It  is  not  improbable  that  in  certain  forms  of  skin 
disease  some  of  these  baths,  and  particularly  the 
sulphur  ones,  may  exert  an  anti-bacterial  influence. 

It  is  naturally  the  chronic,  intractable  forms  of 
cutaneous  disease  that  are  sent  to  mineral-water 
resorts. 

In  some  resorts,  as  at  Leukerbad,  prolonged 
maceration  of  the  skin,  by  immersion  for  many  hours 
at  a  time,  is  obviously  an  important  physical  agency 
which  has  the  effect  of  cleansing  the  skin  of  adherent 
secretions  and  washing  away  old  epidermal  scales, 
and  of  exerting  a  tonic  and  sedative  effect  on  the 
cutaneous  peripheral  nerves. 

We  shall  now  mention  briefly  the  spa  treatment 
suitable  to  the  chief  and  most  prevalent  forms  of 
skin  disease. 

Eczema. — This  is  one  of  the  commonest  of  skin 
affections,  and  one  that  is  most  frequently  benefited 
by  bath  treatment.  Uriage  may  be  taken  as  the 
type  of  bath  which  is  most  universally  applicable  to 
the  cure  of  eczema.  The  moist  forms  are  the  most 
favourably  influenced,  and  the  course  seems  to  be 
equally  useful  in  the  lymphatic,  the  scrofulous,  the 
gouty,  and  the  anaemic.  The  favourable  climatic 
situation,  at  a  moderate  elevation  (about  1,400  feet 
above  the  sea),  with  much  sunshine,  in  the  mountains 
of  Dauphine,  no  doubt  is  an  effectual  aid  to  its 
mineral  springs. 

Other  sulphur  baths  that  enjoy  a  reputation  for 
the  cure  of  this  malady  are  Strathpeffer  (in  gouty 
cases),  Harrogate,  Schinznach,  Luchon  (especially  the 


450  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

humid  forms),  Enghien  (the  dry  forms  and  those 
requiring  stimulating  treatment),  Challes  (scrofulous 
forms),  Bareges,  St.  Gervais,  St.  Honore,  Ax  les 
Thermes  (all  forms),  Allevard  (the  impetiginous  form), 
Lenk,  in  Canton  Berne  (moist  form),  Aix  la  Chapelle, 
Acqui,  etc. 

In  scrofulous  forms  with  tendency  to  glandular 
enlargements  the  following  sodium  chloride  waters 
have  been  recommended — La  Mouillere  (Besangon), 
Salins  -  du  -  Jura,  Kreuznach  ;  also  the  arsenical 
waters  of  La  Bourboule.  In  diabetic  forms,  Vichy, 
Royat,  Neuenahr,  La  Bourboule ;  these  are  also 
useful  in  certain  gouty  and  rheumatic  forms. 
In  certain  nervous,  irritable  forms  the  simple 
thermal  springs  prove  soothing  and  beneficial,  as 
Neris,  Plombieres,  Gastein,  Schlangenbad,  Ragatz ; 
in  very  Chronic  forms  maceration  of  the  skin  by 
prolonged  baths  at  Leukerbad,  or  at  Bath,  may  be  of 
great  use.  Leukerbad  is  said  to  be  especially  useful 
when  the  nails  are  the  seat  of  the  disease. 

The  arsenical  and  iron  water  of  Levico  is 
prescribed  in  some  anaemic  forms.  For  gouty  sub- 
jects with  hepatic  inadequacy  the  Carlsbad  waters 
often  prove  of  service. 

Psoriasis. — This  most  rebellious  of  skin  affections 
is  often  ameliorated,  but  seldom  or  never  cured,  by 
mineral  baths.  The  skin  is  often  cleansed  and  freed 
from  scales  and  crusts,  and  "  whitened  "  for  a  time  by 
thermal  sulphur,  with  vapour,  or  sulphur  and  sodium 
chloride  baths  (Uriage,  Luchon,  Aix  les  Bains, 
Strathpeffer,  Harrogate),  or  by  prolonged  maceration 
in  such  baths  as  Leukerbad,  or  in  other  simple 
thermal  baths. 

The  arsenical  waters  of  La  Bourboule,  Levico,  and 
Roncegno  are  sometimes  prescribed. 

Acne. — Uriage  (pulverisations),  Challes,  Allevard, 
Cauterets,  Schinznach,  Luchon,  Enghien,  Bareges,  the 
mud  of  St.  Amand.  The  accompanying  constitutional 
states  may  need  alkaline  waters  (Vichy,  Royat,  Ems), 
or  common  salt  waters  (in  scrofulous  cases)  or  chaly- 


SECT,  c.]  CUTANEOUS   DISEASES.  451 

beate  waters  in  the  anaemic,  or  the  laxative  waters  of 
Marienbad,  Tarasp,  etc.,  in  the  hepatic,  gouty  forms 
with  constipation. 

Prurigo  and  Pruritus. — Harrogate,  Strathpeffer, 
Enghien,  Aix  les  Bains,  Luchon,  Schinznach,  or  the 
sedative  springs  of  Neris,  Plombieres,  Evaux,  Ragatz, 
Gastein,  Buxton,  the  prolonged  baths  at  Leukerbad, 
the  alkaline  arsenical  baths  of  La  Bourboule,  Mont 
Dore,  Royat.  The  constitutional  states  must  be  care- 
fully considered  and  appropriately  treated. 

Lichen. — Enghien,  St.  Gervais,  Luchon,  La  Bour- 
boule, Schlangenbad. 

Pityriasis. — Simple  thermal  waters  to  allay  irri- 
tation (Buxton,  Plombieres,  Ragatz,  Neris).  In  very 
chronic  torpid  cases  the  sulphur  waters  of  Aix  la 
Chapelle,  Uriage,  Enghien,  Schinznach,  St.  Honore. 

Chronic  Furunculosis. — Harrogate,  Llandrindod, 
Lenk,  Schinznach,  Uriage,  La  Bourboule.  The  con- 
stitutional condition  and  its  appropriate  treatment  is 
of  chief  consideration. 

Urticaria. — The  constitutional  disorder  should  be 
the  chief  object  of  treatment.  The  alkaline  waters 
(Vichy,  Vals,  Royat)  may  be  of  use  in  the  gouty  or 
rheumatic.  The  simple  thermal  sedative  baths  (Neris, 
Gastein,  Schlangenbad,  Buxton)  in  the  neurotic. 


DISEASES  OF  THE   FEMALE   GENITAL  ORGANS. 

Chronic  disorders  of  the  female  sexual  organs 
have  been  largely  dealt  with  at  certain  mineral 
springs  :  disorders  of  menstruation — amenorrhcea, 
dysmenorrhcea,  menorrhagia  ;  disturbances  of  health 
attending  the  menopause  ;  catarrhal  conditions  of  the 
vagina  and  uterus  (vaginal  and  uterine  leucorrhcea)  ; 
the  results  of  inflammatory  affections  of  the  pelvic 
viscera — metritis,  endometritis,  perimetritis,  para- 
metritis ;  pelvic  cellulitis,  inflammatory  exudations, 
fibroid  tumours ;  tendency  to  abortion ;  the  causes 
of  sterility.  All  these  conditions,  when  no  longer 
attended  by  acute  inflammatory  symptoms,  have 


452  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  r. 

been  beneficially  influenced  by  mineral-water  treat- 
ment. 

Certain  spas  have  obtained  a  great  and  special 
reputation  for  the  treatment  of  these  maladies ;  Ems, 
Baden-Baden,  Franzensbad,  Kreuznach,  Woodhall 
Spa,  St.  Sauveur,  and  Luxeuil  are  all  well  known 
in  this  connection. 

We  will  first  refer  to  disorders  of  menstruation, 
and  in  these,  as  in  all  other  cases,  we  must,  of  course, 
always  pay  careful  attention  to  etiological  con- 
siderations and  constitutional  tendencies. 

Amenorrhwa. — In  cases  dependent  on  anaemia  the 
chalybeate  baths  and  waters  are  indicated — Spa, 
Schwalbach,  St.  Moritz,  Pyrmont.  If  associated  with 
constipation  and  dyspeptic  states,  or  due  to  passive 
uterine  congestion,  the  sodium  chloride  waters  (Hom- 
burg,  Kissingen,  Chatelguyon,  Baden-Baden,  Salins 
Moutiers),  or  the  gaseous  thermal  salt  waters  (Nau- 
heim,  Oeynhausen),  may  be  more  useful. 

If  intestinal  torpor  and  tendency  to  abdominal 
stasis  are  very  prominent  features,  the  Moor  baths  and 
the  aperient  sodium  sulphate  and  iron  waters  of 
Franzensbad,  Elster,  Tarasp,  and  Marienbad  are  indi- 
cated, as  they  are  also  in  those  cases  that  occur 
towards  the  menopause,  often  combined  with  gouty 
and  rheumatic  symptoms  and  a  tendency  to  obesity. 

The  French  school  also  recommend  the  sulphur 
and  sodium  chloride  waters  of  Uriage,  and  those  of 
Bourbon  I'Archambaut  for  their  stimulating  action  in 
lymphatic,  torpid  constitutions,  while  for  sensitive, 
nervous  cases,  requiring  sedative  treatment,  they  pre- 
scribe such  spas  as  St.  Sauveur  and  Ussat. 

In  some  of  these  spas  local  applications  in  the 
form  of  douches  of  dry  carbonic  acid  gas,  peat 
poultices,  and  packing  the  vagina  with  peat  are 
employed. 

It  is  always  an  advantage  to  select  an  attractive 
and  bracing  or  soothing  climate  (according  to  the 
individual  needs),  where  the  patient  can  be  tempted 
to  be  much  in  the  open  air. 


SECT,  c.]  DISEASES    OF    WOMEN.  453 

Dysmenorrhcea. — In  obstinate  chronic  cases  the 
Moor  baths  and  the  ferruginous  sodium  sulphate 
waters  of  Franzensbad  and  Elster  promise  the  best 
results. 

In  neuralgic  and  ovarian  cases  a  protracted  course 
of  simple  thermal  baths  (Plombieres,  Bagneres-de- 
Bigorre,  Gastein,  Wildbad,  Ragatz),  for  their  sedative 
effect,  is  useful ;  or  it  constipation  is  a  prominent 
feature  treatment  may  be  begun  at  Elster  or  Franzens- 
bad, and  concluded  at  a  simple  thermal  bath. 

The  congestive  form,  with  enlarged  uterus  coming 
on  after  abortion  or  uterine  gestation,  may  be  treated 
at  sodium  chloride  springs  (Bourbon  I'Archambaut, 
Kissingen,  Chatelguyon,  Salins  Moutiers),  or  alkaline 
sodium  chloride  springs  (Ems  in  particular).  In  the 
neurotic  and  irritable  the  sedative  springs  of  Ussat, 
St.  Sauveur,  Eaux  Chaudes,  and  Luxeuil  are  service- 
able. 

It  is  generally  recommended  that  a  prolonged 
period  of  bath  treatment  should  be  prescribed — 
eight  to  ten  weeks — during  which  period  the  restful 
life  in  such  pleasantly  situated  resorts,  as  most  of 
those  mentioned,  could  not  fail  to  be  advantageous. 

In  the  membranous  form  a  prolonged  course  at 
Ems  or  Baden-Baden  (alkaline  sodium  chloride),  or  at 
one  of  the  simple  thermal  baths  mentioned,  is  usually 
prescribed. 

Menorrhagia. — In  some  cases  a  long  course  of 
chalybeate  waters  proves  useful  (Spa,  Schwalbach, 
St.  Moritz,  Pyrmont) ;  in  others  the  waters  and 
baths  of  Franzensbad,  followed  by  a  long  after-cure 
at  a  moderate  elevation. 

In  France  a  course  at  Chatelguyon  or  Salins 
Moutiers  (sodium  chloride)  is  often  prescribed  with 
advantage. 

The  troublesome  symptoms  associated  with  the 
menopause — gastric,  hepatic  and  nervous — are  often 
benefited  by  a  course  of  mineral- water  treatment. 

In  those  case  with  a  tendency  to  constipation  and 
obesity  the  sodium  sulphate  and  iron  waters  of 


454  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  I. 

Marienbad,  Franzensbad,  and  Elster  prove  very 
useful.  In  thin  subjects  the  sodium  chloride  waters 
(Homburg,  Kissingen,  Baden-Baden  or  Chatelguyon) 
are  more  suitable.  The  sulphur  and  sodium  chloride 
waters  of  Uriage,  applied  according  to  the  methods 
of  hydrotherapy,  prove  most  beneficial  in  certain 
cases,  in  which  also  the  somewhat  similar  springs  of 
Harrogate  and  Llandrindod  may  be  prescribed. 

In  delicate,  neurotic  subjects  the  soothing  springs 
of  Luxeuil  or  Eaux  Chaudes,  or  the  simple  thermal 
waters  of  Gastein,  Ragatz,  Wildbad,  or  Buxton  may 
be  most  appropriate. 

A  prolonged  after-cure  in  an  agreeable  seaside  or 
mountain  resort,  of  moderate  elevation,  is  essential  in 
these  cases. 

Leucorrhcea. —  Vaginal  leucorrhcea  is  perhaps  best 
treated  with  the  alkaline  sodium  chloride  water  of 
Ems.  St.  Nectaire  le  Haut,  in  Auvergne,  has  also  a 
reputation  to  the  same  effect ;  its  source  inter mittente, 
which  contains  much  free  carbonic  acid,  is  applied  as 
a  "  natural  ascending  vaginal  douche."  If  anaemia  is 
a  prominent  feature  the  iron  waters  (Spa,  Schwal- 
bach,  etc.)  are  suitable,  and  if  there  is  habitual  con- 
stipation the  sodium  chloride  waters  (Kissingen, 
Homburg,  Salins  Moutiers).  In  uterine  leucorrhcea 
mineral  water  treatment  is  not  so  successful,  but 
co-existing  abdominal  congestion  may  be  relieved  by 
the  sodium  chloride  waters,  or  the  alkaline  sodium 
sulphate  waters  of  Franzensbad  or  Elster.  If  pain  and 
tenderness  are  prominent  features,  the  simple  thermal, 
or  the  gaseous  sodium  chloride,  springs  may  be 
applied.  The  sulphur  and  sodium  chloride  waters  of 
Uriage  have  been  found  useful  in  the  torpid, 
lymphatic,  and  strumous  ;  and  the  sulphur  waters  of 
Luchon  and  Enghien  have  also  proved  useful,  applied 
by  means  of  vaginal  injection,  or  with  the  aid  of  the 
wire  bath  speculum. 

Chronic  inflammatory  affections  of  the  uterus  and 
its  annexes  and  their  consequences  are  frequently 
submitted  to  bath  treatment — cndometritis,  metritis, 


SECT,  c.]  DISEASES    OF    WOMEN.  455 

perimetritis,  parametritis,  pelvic  cellulitis,  etc. — and  a 
great  variety  of  spas  are  resorted  to  for  this  purpose. 
Perhaps  the  most  popular  are  certain  sodium  chloride 
waters,  as  Kreuznach,  Woodhall  Spa,  Kissingen, 
Reichenhall,  Ischl,  Chatelguyon,  Bourbon  1'Archam- 
baut,  La  Mouillere,  Salins-du-Jura,  Salins  de  Beam, 
La  Motte,  etc. ;  or  the  alkaline  sodium  chloride 
springs,  as  Ems,  Neuenahr,  Royat,  St.  Nectaire  le 
Haut,  combined  with  long  periods  of  repose. 

Drinking  cures  with  the  laxative  sodium  sulphate 
or  sodium  chloride  waters  (Marienbad,  Franzensbad, 
Elster,  Kissingen,  Homburg,  Tarasp)  are  often  useful 
to  relieve  hyperaemia  and  stimulate  absorption,  by 
lowering  blood  pressure  in  the  abdominal  vessels  and 
relieving  co-existing  constipation.  Uriage  has  been 
found  useful  in  chronic  debilitated  cases  with  absence 
of  acute  symptoms.  In  chronic  painful  metritis,  and 
cases  requiring  soothing  treatment,  the  more  sedative 
springs  should  be  advised,  as  Ussat,  Eaux  Chaudes, 
St.  Sauveur,  Luxeuil,  and  Plombieres.  In  anaemic 
forms  an  after-course  of  iron  waters  may  prove 
beneficial. 

Uterine  fibroids. — It  must  not  be  expected  that 
mineral  waters  will  cause  the  disappearance  of  these 
tumours,  although  very  confident  statements  have 
occasionally  been  made  to  this  effect ;  but  no  doubt 
great  benefit  and  relief  to  symptoms  have  been  found 
to  attend  treatment  at  certain  spas,  especially  the 
strong  thermal  sodium  chloride  springs  at  Kreuznach, 
Ischl,  Woodhall  Spa,  Salins-du-Jura,  Salins  de  Beam 
(occasional  cures  are  claimed  at  this  spa),  La 
Mouillere  (Besan9on),  Salins  Moutiers,  La  Motte  les 
Bains,  etc.  Good  effects  have  also  been  claimed  from 
treatment  at  Luxeuil. 

Tendency  to  miscarriages. — In  anaemic  cases  chaly- 
beate waters,  with' long  periods  of  rest,  may  prove  use- 
ful. In  suspected  syphilitic  cases  the  usual  specific 
treatment  at  sulphur  baths  may  be  prescribed.  In 
neurotic  cases  the  sedative  baths  and  climate  of 
Eaux  Chaudes  and  St.  Sauveur  have  been  advised,  A 


456  MINERAL    SPRINGS.  [PART  i. 

prolonged  after-cure  in  a  soothing  and  bracing  resort 
is  always  essential. 

Sterility. — Many  and  diverse  spas  have  been 
credited  with  the  cure  of  sterility — the  iron  waters  of 
Schwalbach,  Pyrmont,  Spa,  St.  Moritz — the  sodium 
chloride  springs  of  Homburg,  Kissingen,  Baden- 
Baden — the  alkaline  sodium  chloride  springs  of 
Ems — the  sulphur  baths  of  St.  Sauveur — the  simple 
thermal  springs  of  Gastein,  Ragatz,  Luxeuil  and 
others.  Ems  has  a  very  great  reputation  in  this 
respect.  Mineral  waters  can  only  act  by  causing  the 
disappearance  of  material  or  functional  defects. 
Chronic  leucorrhcea  and  acidity  of  the  vaginal  secre- 
tions may  be  removed  :  by  the  application  of  vaginal 
douches  the  circulation  and  nutrition  of  the  uterus 
may  be  improved ;  iron  tonics  and  a  bracing  climate 
may  improve  the  general  health  and  tone.  But 
doubtless  one  of  the  most  influential  circumstances  is 
the  long  separation  of  husband  and  wife  and  the 
consequent  tonic  effect  on  both. 


II. 

CLIMATE  AND  CLIMATIC 
RESORTS. 

CHAPTER  I. 
CLIMATE   AND   CLIMATES. 

WHAT  do  we  mean  by  climate  ?  What  is  the  kind 
of  information  we  require  when  we  ask  the  question 
—what  kind  of  climate  has  any  particular  place  ? 
We  generally  mean  by  a  question  of  this  kind  that 
we  desire  to  know  how  the  natural  conditions  and 
surroundings  of  a  particular  place  affect  the  life  and 
well-being  of  its  human  inhabitants.  That,  practically, 
is  what  we  want  to  know  when  we  make  inquiries 
about  climate  ;  with  the  geographical  distribution  of 
plants  and  animals,  or  with  any  other  considerations 
connected  with  climate,  we  are  only  now  concerned 
in  so  far  as  they  affect  the  well-being  of  mankind. 

It  is  evident  that  the  climate  of  a  place  must 
depend,  first  and  chiefly,  on  the  conditions  and  char- 
acter of  its  atmosphere — its  aerial  cloak  * — which  may 
be  hot  or  cold,  moist  or  dry.,  still  or  agitated,  pure  or 
foul,  uniform  or  variable,  etc. ;  and,  second,  on  the 
nature  of  its  surface,  which  may  be  land  or  water,  low 
or  elevated,  level  or  broken,  barren  or  cultivated, 
sand,  clay,  rock,  marsh,  wood,  meadow,  country,  or 
town,  etc.,  and  these  conditions  also  act  through  their 
influence  on  the  atmosphere. 

*  "  The  term  climate,  in  its  broadest  sense,  implies  all  the 
changes  in  the  atmosphere  which  sensibly  affect  one's  physical 
condition." — Humboldt. 


458       CLIMATE   AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

The  characters  and  quality  of  the  atmosphere  differ 
considerably  in  different  places  on  the  surface  of  the 
globe.  The  atmosphere  over  Manchester  differs  from 
the  atmosphere  over  a  Yorkshire  moor  or  a  Swiss 
mountain ;  the  atmosphere  over  the  table-lands  of  Cen- 
tral Asia  differs  from  the  atmosphere  over  the  Indian 
Ocean  ;  the  atmosphere  over  the  plains  of  Lombardy 
differs  from  the  atmosphere  in  the  Upper  Inn  Valley  ; 
and  although  these  differences  are  not  so  considerable 
as  to  actually  interfere  with  the  maintenance  of 
human  life,  they  may  be  sufficient  to  materially  in- 
fluence the  health  and  well-being  of  men,  at  certain 
times  and  under  certain  circumstances: 

The  chief  conditions  of  the  atmosphere  that  affect 
the  climate  of  a  place  are  these  :  i,  its  temperature  ; 
2,  its  movements  (winds)  ;  3,  the  amount  of  aqueous 
vapour  and  its  precipitation  as  rain  or  snow ;  4,  its 
electrical  conditions ;  5,  its  purity  ;  6,  its  density  or 
pressure  ;  and  7,  its  composition. 

And  these  conditions  depend  mainly  on  the 
following  influences  : 

ist,  and  chief,  distance  from  the  equator  ; 

2nd,  adjacency  to,  or  remoteness   from,  seas   or 

other  large  tracts  of  water; 
3rd,  elevation  above  the  sea  ; 
4th,  the  prevailing  winds  ;  and 
5th,  strictly  local  influences,  such  as  configuration 
and  inclination  of  surface,  relation  to  mountain 
chains,  nature  of  soil  and  vegetation,  absence  or 
presence    of   plantations,   cultivation,   aspect, 
drainage,  population,  manufactures,  etc. 
The  most  important  factor  in  the  determination 
of   climate  is    undoubtedly  temperature,   and   the 
temperature  of  a  place  is,  with  certain  qualifications 
which  will  immediately  be  stated,  dependent  on  its 
distance  from  the  equator. 

Those  countries  are  hottest  upon  which  the  sun's 
rays  fall  vertically,  or  almost  vertically,  and  the 
warmest  climates  are  therefore  those  of  the  inter- 
tropical  regions.  The  further  we  go  from  the  equator 


INFLUENCE    OF    LATITUDE.  459 

the  more  and  more  obliquely  the  sun's  rays  fall  on 
the  surface,  and  for  that  reason  the  same  amount  of 
solar-rays  are  spread  over  an  increasing  extent  of 
surface,  while  they  also  have  to  traverse  a  greater 
mass  of  air.  The  nearer  we  approach  the  poles,  the 
less  the  amount  of  heat  received  from  the  solar  rays, 
and  these  climates  therefore  are  the  coldest. 

The  influence  of  distance  from  the  equator  is 
well  shown  in  some  European  countries  in  the 
difference  of  time  in  the  flowering  or  ripening  of 
widely-distributed  plants.  At  Naples  (N.  lat.  40°  5') 
the  elm  comes  into  leaf  at  the  beginning  of  February, 
at  Paris  (N.  lat.  48°  5')  not  until  late  in  March,  and  in 
the  centre  of  England  (N.  lat.  52°  5')  not  until  the 
middle  of  April.  In  the  South  of  Italy  ripe  cherries 
may  be  gathered  about  the  beginning  of  May,  in 
northern  France  and  central  Germany  at  the  end  of 
June,  but  not  in  England  usually  till  three  or  four 
weeks  later. 

Were  it  not,  then,  for  counteracting  influences  we 
might  say  that,  universally  over  the  surface  of  the 
globe,  temperature  is  regulated  by  latitude.  But  this 
statement  is  by  no  means  of  universal  application  ; 
indeed,  places  which  are  on  the  same  parallel  of  lati- 
tude rarely  enjoy  exactly  the  same  temperature,  and 
in  some  instances  there  are  wide  divergences. 

If,  for  example,  we  compare  London  and 
Labrador,  which  coincide  in  latitude,  we  find  that 
while  in  both  the  summers  are  mild,  in  England 
the  winters  are  not  very  cold,  while  in  Labrador  they 
are  excessively  so. 

By  means  of  numerous  thermometric  observations 
taken  at  various  parts  of  the  world,  at  different  times 
and  seasons,  it  has  been  possible  to  construct  maps 
upon  which  lines  are  drawn  through  all  places  having 
the  same  temperature  at  the  same  season,  or  the  same 
average  annual  temperature,  and  these  isothermal 
lines  as  they  are  called  show  the  general  distribution 
of  temperature  over  the  globe. 

Isothermal  lines,  or  lines  of  equal  temperature,  are 


4<5o       CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

named  after  the  degrees  of  temperature  they  express, 
e.g.  "the  isotherm  of  60° "  means  the  line  drawn 
through  all  the  places  on  the  map  which  have  the 
average  annual  temperature  of  60°. 

Now  it  is  found  that  these  isothermal  lines,  drawn 
round  the  globe,  instead  of  following  the  parallels  of 
latitude,  bend  up  and  down,  and  these  bendings  are 
determined  by  the  place  of  continents  and  oceans. 
They  are  noticed  to  be  least  irregular  over  the  wide 
expanse  of  ocean  in  the  southern  hemisphere,  while 
they  show  the  greatest  deflections  across  North 
America,  the  Atlantic,  Europe,  and  Asia.  It  is  thus 
seen  that  temperature  is  more  uniform  and  more 
directly  dependent  on  latitude  in  the  oceanic  parts  of 
the  globe  than  in  the  continental,  or  where  the 
oceanic  and  continental  come  together  as  they  do 
in  the  basin  of  the  Atlantic. 

If  we  take  the  isotherm  of  50°  (mean  annual 
temperature),  viz.  that  passing  through  London,  it 
continues  in  nearly  a  straight  line  westward  toward 
the  coast  of  Wales  ;  it  then  bends  south-westward,  and 
crosses  to  the  west  coast  of  Ireland.  If  we  trace  it 
to  the  opposite  side  of  the  Atlantic,  we  shall  find  that 
in  crossing  the  ocean  it  bends  much  further  south,  and 
reaches  the  coast  of  America,  near  New  York,  so  that 
the  mean  annual  temperature  of  London  and  New 
York  is  the  same,  though  New  York  is  as  far  south 
of  London  as  Madrid. 

On  reference  to  a  map  of  isothermal  lines,  it  will 
be  seen  that  these  divergencies  of  belts  of  equal  heat 
from  the  same  parallels  of  latitude  are  determined  by 
the  manner  in  which  the  great  areas  of  land  and  sea 
are  grouped. 

'"  Land  gets  sooner  heated  by  the  sun's  rays  than 
the  sea,  and  also  gives  off  its  heat  again  sooner.  The 
sea,  though  it  does  not  get  so  hot  as  the  land  does, 
retains  its  heat  longer,  and  is  enabled  by  virtue  ol 
its  liquidity  and  motion  to  diffuse  it.  Hence  the  in- 
fluence of  the  sea  tends  to  mitigate  both  the  heat  and 
the  cold  of  the  land.  Its  warm  currents  heat  the  air 


THE   GULF    STREAM.  461 

resting  on  them,  and  so  give  rise  to  warm  winds 
which  blow  upon  the  land,  while  its  colder  waters 
in  like  manner  temper  the  air,  which  reaches  the 
land  in  cooling  breezes,  or  it  may  be  in  cold,  damp 
winds  and  fogs.  Thus,  in  the  basin  of  the  North 
Atlantic,  a  warm  ocean  current,  called  the  Gulf 
Stream,  issues  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and, 
augmented  by  the  surface-drift  of  warm  water 
which  is  driven  onward  by  the  prevalent  south- 
west winds,  flows  across  the  Atlantic  to  the  shores  of 
Britain,  and  even  of  Spitzbergen.  It  brings  with  it  the 
supplies  of  heat  which  make  the  climate  of  the  west 
of  Europe  so  much  less  cold  than  it  would  naturally 
be.  On  the  other  hand,  an  icy  stream  of  water 
coming  out  of  Davis  Strait  brings  a  chill  to  the  coasts 
of  Labrador  and  Newfoundland.  The  ocean,  there- 
fore, by  its  cold  currents  is  depressing  the  tempera- 
ture in  America  along  the  same  latitudes,  where  in 
Europe,  by  its  warm  currents,  it  is  raising  it."* 

Again,  the  influence  of  a  large  tract  of  land  situated 
in  high  latitudes  lowers  the  temperature  below  what 
it  would  be  if  the  same  regions  were  occupied  by 
sea,  because  it  allows  of  the  accumulation  of  vast 
masses  of  snow  and  ice  ;  and  a  similar  tract  of  land 
in  low  latitudes,  by  exposing  a  broad,  motionless,  and 
quickly-heated  surface  to  the  tropical  rays  of  the  sun, 
gives  rise  to  a  far  higher  temperature  than  would  be 
observed  over  a  tract  of  ocean  in  the  same  region. 

But  we  must  not  conclude  that  two  places  which 
have  the  same  average  yearly  temperature  have  the 
same  climate.  Take,  for  instance,  Dublin  and  Munich, 
which  have  nearly  the  same  annual  means  of  tempera- 
ture, viz.  48°  to  49°  F.;  but  the  winters  at  Munich  are 
9°  colder  than  in  Dublin,  and  the  summer  about  6° 
warmer. 

In  order,  then,  to  compare  the  climate  of  different 
places  on  the  surface  of  the  globe,  it  is  necessary  not 
only  to  know  the  mean  annual  temperature,  but  also 

*  Geikie's  "  Physical  Geography,"  p.  61. 


462      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

how  the  temperature  is  distributed  through  the 
different  seasons,  and  maps  are  prepared  for  this 
purpose,  with  isothermal  lines  showing  the  distribu- 
tion of  temperature  for  each  month  or  season. 

"  Range  maps  "  have  also  been  constructed,  en- 
abling us  to  contrast  different  localities  with  regard  to 
the  extent  of  variation,  or  range,  of  temperature 
which  they  experience  in  the  year,  which  is  a  very 
important  factor  in  the  determination  of  climate. 

These  "  range  maps  "  show  that : 

(a)  The  range  increases  from  the  equator  towards 
the  poles,  and  from  the  coast  towards  the  interior  of 
a  continent :  (b)  the  regions  of  extreme  range  in  the 
northern  hemisphere  coincide  approximately  with 
the  districts  of  lowest  temperature  in  winter  :  (c)  the 
range  is  greater  in  the  northern  than  in  the  southern 
hemisphere  :  (d)  in  the  middle  and  higher  latitudes 
of  both  hemispheres,  with  the  exception  of  Greenland 
and  Patagonia,  the  western  coasts  have  a  less  range 
than  the  eastern  :  and  (e)  that  in  the  interior  of 
the  continents  the  range  in  mountainous  districts 
diminishes  with  the  height  above  the  sea. 

On  inspection  of  such  a  map,  the  influence  of  the 
sea  in  moderating  extremes  of  climate  is  unmistakable, 
"but  even  more  decidedly  do  the  agencies  of  pre- 
vailing winds  and  prevailing  currents  show  their 
effects.  Where  the  prevailing  winds  are  westerly,  the 
so-called  anti-trades,  and  where  the  ocean  currents  are 
flowing  from  the  equator  into  higher  latitudes,  the 
cold  of  winter  is  mitigated,  and  the  curves  of  equal 
range  bent  polewards.  On  the  other  hand,  on  the 
eastern  coast  of  America,  and  even  more  so  on  that 
of  Asia,  the  prevailing  winds  are  northerly  and  cold, 
so  that  the  temperature  in  winter  falls  very  low,  while 
the  summer  is  comparatively  warm,  and  the  contrast 
between  the  opposite  seasons  is  very  marked."* 

We  thus  see  how  temperature  is  regulated,  and 
the  effect  of  distance  from  the  equator  modified  by 
the  distribution  of  sea  and  land. 

*  Scott's   "  Meteorology,"  p.  342. 


ATMOSPHERIC  PRESSURE.  463 

The  temperature  of  the  air  is  also  regulated,  and 
the  effect  of  distance  from  the  equator  modified,  by 
the  elevation  of  a  region,  by  its  height  above  the  sea. 
It  is  a  matter  of  common  observation  that  in  ascend- 
ing mountains  the  air  gets  cooler  the  higher  we  go. 

It  may  be  taken  as  a  somewhat  rough  average 
that  the  decrease  of  temperature  with  elevation  is 
about  i°  Fahrenheit  for  every  300  feet  of  ascent ;  so 
that  height  above  the  sea  is  an  important  element  in 
climate.  There  is  an  apparent  exception  to  this 
observed  in  very  cold,  calm  weather,  when,  in  a 
valley,  the  cold,  heavier  air  sinks  to  the  lowest  level, 
and  the  warmer  and  lighter  air  rises  on  the  hill  sides, 
so  that  a  residence  on  a  slight  eminence,  or  on  the  side 
of  a  hill,  secures  immunity  from  the  greatest  severity 
of  the  frosts.  Evergreens  suffer  less  in  such  situations 
than  in  low-lying  bottoms. 

Before  we  consider  the  important  influence  of  the 
movements  of  the  atmosphere,  i.e.  of  the  prevailing 
currents  of  wind  on  climate,  it  will  be  desirable  to 
consider  shortly  the  influence  of  atmospheric  pressure 
or  density,  and  of  atmospheric  humidity,  as  it  is  on 
them  that  the  movements  of  the  air  are  dependent. 

The  use  of  the  barometer  to  foretell  changes  of 
weather  is  founded,  as  everybody  knows,  on  the  fact 
that  variations  in  atmospheric  pressure  give  rise  to 
winds  and  storms,  and  all  those  movements  of  the  air 
upon  which  weather  depends. 

But  if  we  ask,  in  the  next  place,  what  causes  these 
variations  of  atmospheric  pressure,  we  shall  be  told 
that  they  are  greatly  affected,  first  by  temperature, 
and  secondly  by  aqueous  vapour. 

We  can  readily  understand  how  temperature  acts. 
Air  when  heated  expands,  when  cooled  it  contracts  ; 
therefore  cold  air  is  heavier  than  warm  air,  and  warm 
air  ascends  while  cold  air  descends. 

The  ascent  of  warm  air  must  necessarily  diminish 
atmospheric  pressure.  When  a  broad  tract  of  the 
earth's  surface,  such  for  instance  as  the  centre  of  Asia,  is 


464      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

greatly  heated  by  the  sun's  rays,  the  hot  air  in  contact 
with  the  ground  rises  and  flows  over  into  the  sur- 
rounding regions.  Hence  the  atmospheric  pressure 
is  lowered  there  during  the  hot  months  of  the 
year. 

The  influence  of  the  presence  of  water-vapour  on 
the  pressure  of  air  is  due  to  the  circumstance  that 
water-vapour  is  very  much  lighter  and  has  less  pressure 
than  air  ;  so  that  air  saturated  with  vapour  of  water 
is  lighter  than  dry  air,  and  the  difference  in  weight 
increases  with  the  temperature,  because  the  warmer 
the  air,  the  more  water-vapour  can  be  dissolved  in  it. 
For  instance,  a  cubic  foot  of  perfectly  dry  air  at  32°  F. 
weighs  a  grain  and  a-quarter  more  than  a  cubic  foot 
of  air  saturated  with  vapour  at  the  same  temperature, 
whereas  a  cubic  foot  of  perfectly  dry  air  at  80°  F.  weighs 
six  and  a-half  grains  more  than  air  saturated  with 
moisture  at  the  same  temperature. 

The  amount  of  aqueous  vapour  in  the  air  is  con- 
stantly varying ;  the  addition  of  a  large  volume  of 
vapour  to  the  atmosphere  lowers  its  pressure  and 
causes  the  mercury  to  fall ;  the  removal  of  this 
vapour,  by  its  condensation  into  rain  for  instance, 
restores  the  pressure,  and  the  mercury  rises. 

How  these  changes  in  the  volume  of  vapour  in 
any  part  of  the  atmosphere  are  brought  about  is  still 
unknown. 

Every  surface  of  water  exposed  to  the  air  gives  off 
vapour  into  the  atmosphere  so  long  as  this  remains  un- 
saturated  ;  when  the  air  reaches  its  point  of  saturation, 
evaporation  ceases,  and  the  higher  the  temperature  of 
the  air,  the  greater  its  capacity,  as  we  have  seen, 
of  absorbing  moisture.  Wind  greatly  favours  evapo- 
ration, for  it  blows  away  the  vapour  from  the  surface 
of  the  water  as  it  is  formed,  and  brings  other  and  dryer 
air  to  absorb  and  carry  off  the  fresh  supplies. 

It  is  clear,  then,  that  more  vapour  of  water  must 
be  added  to  the  air  during  the  warmer  day  than 
during  the  colder  night,  and  during  the  summer  than 
in  winter,  during  a  brisk  wind  than  in  still  weather, 


ATMOSPHERIC    HUMIDITY.  465 

and  in  far  greater  amount  in  warm  tropical  regions 
than  in  temperate  or  cold  ones. 

The  water  which  passes  into  the  air  in  the  form  of 
this  invisible  vapour  is  condensed,  and  reappears  in 
such  visible  forms  as  dew,  rain,  snow,  clouds,  and 
mists. 

The  presence  of  this  water-vapour  in  the  atmo- 
sphere has  a  very  important  influence  on  the  tem- 
perature of  the  surface  of  the  earth.  It  surrounds  the 
earth  with  a  kind  of  cloak,  sometimes  invisible, 
sometimes  in  the  visible  form  of  cloud,  and  by  lessen- 
ing the  diathermancy  of  the  air  it  serves  to  protect  it 
from  the  too  great  intensity  of  the  solar  rays  during 
the  day,  and  from  the  too  rapid  loss  of  heat  by 
radiation  into  cold  space  during  the  night,  when  the 
influence  of  the  sun  is  removed.  "  If  it  could  be 
removed  for  a  little  from  around  us,  we  should 
be  burnt  up  by  day  and  frozen  hard  at  night." 

It  is  well  known  that  when  water  passes  into  the 
state  of  vapour  it  absorbs  a  considerable  amount  of 
heat  which  is  rendered  latent  or  imperceptible,  and 
that  when  the  vapour  is  again  condensed  into  water, 
the  latent  heat  is  again  given  out  and  becomes 
sensible.  Every  pound  of  water  which  is  condensed 
from  vapour  liberates  heat  enough  to  melt  five  pounds 
of  cast  iron*.  When,  then,  in  nature,  the  vapour  of 
the  air  is  converted  into  water  on  a  large  scale,  the 
temperature  of  the  air  is  thereby  considerably  raised. 
Rainfall  is  dependent  on  the  amount  of  aqueous 
vapour  which  passes  into  the  air,  and  its  subsequent 
condensation  ;  it  is  therefore  usually  greatest  in  tropical 
regions,  where  the  amount  of  evaporation  is  greatest, 
and  it  diminishes  in  amount  as  the  temperature  falls 
towards  the  poles.  This  rule  is,  however,  subject  to 
important  exceptions,  dependent  on  the  distribution 
of  sea  and  land,  and  on  the  great  aerial  currents. 

As  condensation  is  more  active  over  land  than 
over  sea,  the  rainfall  also  is  greater  over  land  than 
sea,  and  over  the  northern  hemisphere,  much  of  which 
is  land,  than  over  the  southern  hemisphere,  most  of 


466      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

which  is  water.  Most  of  the  vapour  of  the  atmosphere 
being  furnished  by  the  ocean,  it  follows  that  the 
condensation  of  vapour  into  rain  upon  the  land  is 
greatest  at  the  coast-line,  so  that  the  sea-board  of  a 
country  may  be  rainy  while  its  interior  is  compara- 
tively dry.  Rainfall  is  much  influenced  by  the  form 
of  the  surface  ;  as  mountains  act  as  condensers,  they 
are  therefore  much  wetter  than  plains.  "  Places  which 
lie  in  the  path  of  any  of  the  regular  air-currents  are 
wet  when  they  cool  the  current,  and  dry  when  they 
warm  it.  Hence  winds  blowing  towards  the  equator, 
since  they  come  into  warmer  latitudes,  are  not  usually 
wret  winds  ;  but  when  they  blow  towards  the  poles 
they  reach  colder  latitudes,  and  are  chilled  and  there- 
fore rainy. 

"  Some  of  these  laws  are  well  illustrated  in  the 
British  Islands,  where  the  rains  are  chiefly  brought  by 
the  south-westerly  winds,  which  have  come  across  the 
Atlantic.  The  coast-line  facing  that  ocean  is  more 
rainy  than  the  east  side  looking  to  the  narrow  North 
Sea.  In  the  former  part  of  the  country,  away  from 
the  hills,  the  amount  of  rain  which  falls  in  a  year 
would,  if  collected  together,  have  a  depth  of  from  30 
to  45  inches.  On  the  east  side,  however,  the  average 
annual  rainfall  does  not  exceed  20  to  28  inches. 
Where  the  western  coast  happens  to  be  mountainous, 
an  excess  of  rain  falls  ;  hence  the  wetness  of  the 
climate  along  the  north-west  coast  of  Scotland  and  in 
the  lake  district  of  England,  where  the  annual  rain- 
fall ranges  from  80  to  1 50,  and  sometimes  even  more 
than  200  inches."* 

Owing  to  the  enormous  evaporation  which  goes  on 
between  the  tropics,  a  constant  stream  of  vapour  is 
rising  into  the  upper  regions  of  the  atmosphere,  and, 
becoming  chilled  there,  falls  in  the  form  of  heavy  and 
frequent  rains. 

If  a  high  mass  of  land,  in  these  rainy  regions,  lies 
in  the  path  of  the  warm,  moist  air-currents,  the  rain- 

*  Geikie's  "  Physical  Geography,"  p.  77. 


MOVEMENTS    OF    THE    AIR.  467 

fall  is  still  greater  ;  thus,  in  India,  on  the  Khasi  range 
of  hills,  the  annual  rainfall  reaches  the  enormous 
amount  of  500  to  600  inches. 

On  the  other  hand,  a  tract  of  country  lying  behind 
a  high  mass  of  land  upon  which  moist  winds  blow 
may  be  almost  rainless. 

When  it  happens,  as  it  does  in  some  countries,  that 
in  one  part  of  the  year  the  wind  blows  in  one  direction, 
and  in  another  part  of  the  year  in  the  opposite,  we 
shall  find  that  these  periodical  winds  are  usually  ac- 
companied with  rain  when  they  blow  from  warm  to 
colder  regions,  and  with  dry  weather  when  they  blow 
from  a  cold  to  a  warmer  region  ;  therefore  in  these 
countries  rainy  seasons  alternate  with  dry  ones. 

Great  irregularity  of  rainfall  is  characteristic  of 
North- Western  Europe,  but  as  a  rule  there  is  more 
rain  at  the  end  of  autumn  and  in  winter  than  in 
summer. 

So  far  as  the  health  of  human  beings  is  concerned, 
the  cleansing  effect  of  rain  on  the  air  is  important,  for 
a  downfall  of  rain  washes  the  air  and  carries  away 
suspended  and  other  impurities  which,  in  dry  weather, 
are  blown  about  and  diffused  by  the  aerial  currents. 

The  influence  of  prevailing  winds  on  climate  has 
already  been  mentioned,  and  it  has  been  shown  that 
the  movements  of  the  air  are  produced  by  differences 
of  pressure.  The  following  is  the  law  which  governs 
the  direction  of  these  movements  :  Air  always  flows 
in  spirally  from  areas  of  high  pressure  into  areas  of 
low  pressure.  It  is  clear  that  this  must  be  the  case,  as 
low  pressure  indicates  a  deficiency,  and  high  pressure  a 
surplus  of  atmosphere.  The  column  of  air  is  heavier 
in  the  latter  case  than  in  the  former,  consequently, 
obeying  the  universal  law  of  gravitation,  the  heavier 
column  must  necessarily  flow  out  at  the  base  to  supply 
the  deficiency  in  the  lighter  one. 

A  familiar  and  instructive  illustration  of  the  in- 
fluence of  temperature  in  producing  currents  of  air 
can  be  observed  on  the  sea  coast  of  any  country, 


468      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

where  the  days  are  warm  and  the  nights  cool.  The 
surface  of  the  land  during  the  day,  under  the  influence 
of  the  sun's  rays,  becomes  much  warmer  than  that  of 
the  sea,  and  thus  heat  is  communicated  to  the  air 
resting  on  it,  which  becomes  hotter  than  that  resting 
on  the  sea.  The  hotter  air  on  the  land  expands,  its 
pressure  is  diminished,  and  being  lighter  it  ascends, 
while  the  cooler  air  from  the  sea  streams  in  towards 
the  land  to  take  its  place  ;  thus  a  light  breeze,  blowing 
from  the  sea  on  to  the  land,  is  developed,  which 
increases  in  force  as  the  day  advances.  This  is  the 
familiar  sea  breeze  !  As  the  sun  disappears  it  dies 
away,  for  as  soon  as  the  sun  is  set  the  land  parts  with 
the  heat  it  has  absorbed  during  the  day  by  radiation 
into  space,  and  it  does  so  much  more  readily  than  the 
sea  does  ;  thus  the  air  over  the  land  becomes  cooler, 
and  therefore  denser  than  that  over  the  sea,  and  this 
denser  air  moves  towards  the  sea  to  take  the  place  of 
the  ascending  lighter  current  now  flowing  upwards 
from  its  surface  ;  and  thus  a  land  breeze  arises.  This 
increases  in  force,  as  the  difference  in  temperature 
between  the  air  over  the  land  and  that  over  the  sea 
increases  by  continued  radiation  from  the  former ; 
it  again  dies  away  towards  morning,  when  the  sun's 
heat  again  becomes  felt  on  the  land,  and  the  tempera- 
ture of  the  air  over  land  and  sea  becomes  equalised. 

A  somewhat  similar  illustration  may  be  observed 
in  mountainous  districts  ;  during  the  day  the  air  on 
the  mountain  sides,  heated  by  the  sun's  rays,  ascends, 
and  a  breeze  blows  up  the  mountains  from  the  valley  ; 
while  at  night  the  cold,  heavy  air  on  the  mountains 
flows  down  as  a  cool  breeze  into  the  valleys. 

The  large  masses  of  land  in  the  northern  hemi- 
sphere interfere  considerably  with  the  regular  distribu- 
tion of  the  aerial  currents  as  they  are  observed  over 
the  broad  unbroken  expanse  of  ocean  presented  by 
the  southern  hemisphere.  "  In  January  the  high 
and  cold  table-lands  of  Central  Asia  become  the 
centre  of  a  vast  area  over  which  the  pressure  of  the 
air  is  high.  Consequently,  from  that  elevated  region 


LOCAL    WINDS.  469 

the  winds  issue  on  all  sides.  In  China  and  Japan 
it  appears  as  a  north-west  wind.  In  Hindostan  it 
comes  from  the  north-east.  In  the  Mediterranean 
it  blows  from  the  east  and  south-east.  But  in  July 
matters  are  reversed,  for  then  the  centre  of  Asia, 
heated  by  the  hot  summer  sun,  becomes  part  of  a  vast 
region  of  low  pressure,  which  includes  the  north- 
eastern half  of  Africa  and  the  east  of  Europe.  Into 
that  enormous  basin  the  air  pours  from  every  side. 
Along  the  coasts  of  Siberia  and  Scandinavia  it  comes 
from  the  north.  From  China,  round  the  south  of  the 
Continent  to  the  Red  Sea,  it  comes  from  the  Indian 
Ocean,  that  is,  from  south-east,  south,  and  south- 
west. Across  Europe  it  flows  from  the  westward. 
Hence,  according  to  the  position  of  any  place  with 
reference  to  the  larger  masses  of  sea  and  land,  the 
direction  of  its  winds  may  be  estimated."  * 

Monsoons  is  the  Arabic  name  (meaning  any  part 
or  season  of  the  year)  given  to  the  summer  and  winter 
winds  on  the  shores  of  the  Indian  Ocean.  We  have 
seen  that  the  air  is  drawn  in  towards  the  centre  of 
Asia  in  summer,  and  flows  out  from  the  centre  in 
winter  ;  so  in  India  the  winter  wind  is  the  north-east 
Monsoon,  which  corresponds  to  the  north-east  Trades 
of  the  North  Atlantic  and  North  Pacific  Oceans ; 
whereas  the  summer  wind  is  the  south-west  Monsoon, 
which  is  a  complete  reversal  of  the  natural  course  of 
the  Trade  Wind,  owing  to  the  enormous  indraught 
caused  by  the  low  summer  pressure  over  Asia.  On 
the  Chinese  coast  the  winter  wind  is  a  north-west 
Monsoon,  and  the  summer  wind  a  south-east  Monsoon. 
Something  similar  occurs  in  North  America,  for  in 
the  Southern  States  the  winter  wind  comes  from  the 
north-east,  the  summer  wind  from  the  south-west. 

There  are  certain  well-known  local  winds  which 
blow  in  certain  countries,  and  which  have  received 
local  names,  of  which  the  following  are  the  chief. 

*  Geikie's  "  Physical  Geography,"  chap,  xi.,  "  The  Move- 
ments of  the  Air." 


470      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS 

If  these  winds  come  from  a  tract  over  which  the 
pressure  is  high  and  the  temperature  low,  to  a  region 
where  the  pressure  is  lower  and  the  temperature 
higher,  they  come  as  cold  blasts  condensing  the  hu- 
midity in  the  air  of  the  warmer  region  into  torrents 
of  rain.  But  if  the  area  of  low  pressure  surrounds  hot 
desert  regions,  like  Africa  and  Arabia,  it  draws  out 
towards  it  the  hot  air  lying  over  these  burning  sands  ; 
such  a  wind  is  that  known  in  Italy  as  the  Sirocco — a 
hot,  moist  wind,  causing  extreme  languor  to  men 
and  animals.  In  Spain  it  is  known  as  the  Solemo, 
and  it  sometimes  brings  with  it  to  this  country, 
across  the  Mediterranean,  fine  hot  dust  from  the 
African  deserts.  This  wind  from  the  desert  is  known 
in  Africa  and  Arabia  as  the  Simoom,  and  it  sometimes 
blows  with  such  violence  as  to  whirl  up  clouds  of 
sandnn  which  whole  caravans  have  been  buried.  A 
similar  hot  wind  is  encountered  on  some  parts  of  the 
West  Coast  of  Africa  (Guinea),  in  December,  January, 
and  February,  blowing  from  the  interior  out  to  sea  ; 
this  is  t\\eHarmattan.  In  Egypt  there  is  a  similar  wind 
called  Khamsin  (fifty),  a  hot  and  very  dry  wind  laden 
with  fine  sand  ;  it  is  the  prevailing  wind  for  about  fifty 
days  in  spring.  The  Fohn  is  a  warm  and  dry  wind 
frequently  met  with  in  the  north-eastern  cantons  ot 
Switzerland,  and  is  generally  very  much  dreaded  on 
account  of  the  physical  and  mental  depression  it 
produces.  It  "  blows  down  from  the  crest  of  the  Alps 
with  great  violence  from  a  south-easterly,  southerly, 
or,  less  frequently,  from  a  south-westerly  direction." 
Some  difference  of  opinion  exists  as  to  its  source  and 
origin.  The  view  that  it  comes  from  the  desert  of 
Sahara  and  gets  laden  with  moisture  by  its  contact 
with  the  surface  of  the  Mediterranean,  and  that  this 
moisture  becomes  precipitated  in  its  passage  over  the 
Alps,  so  that  it  is  felt  in  Switzerland  as  a  warm  and 
dry  wind,  is  disputed  by  Professor  Hann,  who  argues 
that  it "  must  come  down  from  aloft,  from  the  summits 
of  the  Alps,  to  replace  that  which  has  been  removed 
from  the  valleys,"  and  that  "  its  high  temperature  is 


INFLUENCE    OF    WINDS.  471 

explained  by  the  law  .  .  .  that  a  mass  of  air, 
descending  to  levels  where  the  pressure  is  greater, 
warms  at  the  rate  of  i°  C.  for  every  100  metres."* 

The  numerous  names  and  other  significations 
given  to  local  winds  on  the  Mediterranean  coasts 
will  be  referred  to  in  the  chapter  on  the  Riviera. 

Winds  often  serve  a  useful  purpose  in  distributing 
temperature  and  moisture.  A  wind  blowing  from  a 
warm  or  mild  region  raises  the  temperature  of  the 
district  to  which  it  conies.  The  prevailing  west  and 
south-west  winds  of  Great  Britain,  for  example,  are 
warmed  by  their  passage  over  the  Gulf  Stream,  and 
keep  our  climate  much  milder  than,  from  its  latitude, 
it  would  otherwise  be.  But  when  a  wind  blows  from 
a  colder  to  a  milder  region  it  produces  a  depression  of 
temperature  ;  thus  it  is  that  the  winds  that  blow  from 
the  vast  cold  expanse  of  elevated  land  in  central  Asia 
westward  into  Europe,  make  the  weather  in  winter 
and  spring  colder  and  drier  there  than  when  west 
winds  blow. 

Winds  also  distribute  the  moisture  of  the  atmo- 
sphere, and  if  it  were  not  for  them  the  condensed 
vapour  of  the  air  would  be  discharged  upon  the  same 
area  from  which  it  had  been  evaporated ;  but  the 
winds  convey  vapours  from  the  sea,  and  these  become 
condensed  on  the  land,  so  that,  speaking  generally, 
the  wetness  or  dryness  of  any  place  will  depend 
on  the  direction  from  which  its  prevalent  winds  come. 
If  they  come  over  a  wide  and  warm  expanse  of  sea 
they  will  bring  moisture,  if  they  come  from  the 
interior  of  the  continent  they  will  be  dry,  and  hot 
or  cold  according  to  the  temperature  of  the  regions 
from  which  they  come. 

The  preceding  considerations  show  how  climate, 
generally,  is  influenced :  i,  by  distance  from  the 


*  For  the  facts  and  arguments  in  support  of  this  view,  see 
"  Handbook  of  Climatology,"  by  Professor  Hann,  translated 
by  Ward,  chap.  xix.  Macmillan  :  New  York,  1903. 


4/2      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

equator  ;  2,  by  nearness  to  or  distance  from  the  sea  ; 
3,  by  elevation  above  the  sea  ;  4,  by  the  prevailing 
winds  ;  5,  by  atmospheric  humidity  and  its  influence 
on  the  intensity  of  solar  radiation;  and  6,  by  less  general 
local  conditions  ;  and  that  in  estimating  the  climate 
of  any  particular  place  we  have  to  take  into  consider- 
ation the  temperature,  not  only  its  annual  mean  and 
annual  range,  but  its  seasonal  and  even  its  daily 
variations,  and  not  only  the  air  temperature  in  the 
shade,  but  also  the  intensity  of  solar  radiation  ;  the 
rainfall  and  not  only  its  annual  amount,  but  the 
manner  of  its  precipitation,  whether  in  short  and 
sudden  torrents,  or  prolonged  over  considerable 
periods,  and  its  distribution  in  the  different  seasons  and " 
months  ;  the  average  atmospheric  humidity,  amount 
of  cloud  and  mist ;  the  elevation  above  the  sea  ;  the 
direction  of  the  prevailing  winds,  during  the  different 
seasons  of  the  year  ;  and,  finally,  local  conditions  such 
as  the  presence  or  absence  of  protecting  hills,  forests 
and  mountain  chains,  the  shape  and  position  of  the 
ground,  its  relation  to  adjacent  masses  of  water,  sea, 
lake  or  river,  the  nature  of  its  soil,  whether  porous 
and  absorbent  or  the  reverse,  cultivation,  vegetation, 
population,  etc.  etc. 

It  will  also  be  seen  from  the  foregoing  that  the 
elementary  division  of  climates  into  insular  or  oceanic 
and  continental  is  well  founded.  Owing  to  the  fact 
that  water  absorbs  heat  more  slowly,  and  parts  with 
it  more  slowly  than  land  does,  the  ocean  and  other 
large  masses  of  water  act  as  store-houses  of  heat  which 
they  absorb  slowly  during  the  hot  seasons,  and  give 
out  again  slowly  during  cold  seasons  to  the  air  lying  on 
their  surface  ;  it  follows,  therefore,  that  the  climates 
of  the  sea  and  sea-coasts  are  much  moister  and  more 
equable  than  those  of  the  interior  of  continents,  and 
that  in  proportion  as  places  are  distant  from  the  sea, 
their  climates  become  more  extreme.  An  insular  and 
oceanic  climate  is  one  where  the  difference  between 
summer  and  winter  temperature  is  reduced  to  a 
minimum,  and  where  there  is  a  copious  supply  of 


ELEMENTS     OF    CLIMATE.  473 

moisture  from  the  large  water  surface.  A  conti- 
nental climate  is  one  where  the  summer  is  hot,  the 
winter  cold,  and  where  the  rainfall  is  comparatively 
slight.  This  difference  is  well  brought  out  by  the 
fact  that  such  evergreens  as  the  Portugal  laurel, 
aucuba,  and  laurustinus  grow  luxuriantly  even  in  the 
north  of  Scotland  (57°  5'  N.  lat.),  while  they  cannot 
withstand  the  severe  cold  of  the  winter  at  Lyons 
(45°4i'N.lat,). 

Little  more  need  be  said  on  these  points.  With 
regard  to  that  important  element  of  climate,  the 
prevailing  winds,  we  have  seen  that  winds  which 
come  from  a  cold  region  are  cold,  and  those  from  a 
warm  region  warm.  Sea  winds  are  usually  moist, 
those  from  the  land  generally  dry.  Sea  breezes  are 
not  subject  to  the  same  extremes  of  temperature  as 
those  from  the  land.  They  serve  to  cool  the  heat 
of  summer  and  diminish  the  cold  of  winter  ;  whereas 
winds  from  the  interior  of  a  continent  are  usually 
hot  and  enervating  in  summer,  bitterly  cold  and  dry 
in  winter.  We  have  also  seen  that  winds  which  come 
from  lower  into  higher  latitudes,  or  from  warmer  to 
colder  regions,  deposit  their  moisture  in  the  form  of 
rain  and  are  therefore  wet  winds,  while  those  which 
come  from  higher  to  lower  latitudes,  or  from  cold  to 
warm  regions,  are  dry  winds. 

Of  local  influences,  one  of  the  most  important  is 
the  nature  of  the  soil.  Where  the  ground  is  wet  and 
marshy  the  mean  temperature  is  lowered,  for  the 
water  absorbs  and  conveys  downwards  the  heat  which 
would  otherwise  be  retained  on  the  surface  and  warm 
the  soil ;  when  such  ground  is  properly  drained  the 
mean  annual  temperature  is  found  to  rise.  This  rise  of 
temperature  from  efficient  drainage  has  been  known, 
in  our  own  country,  to  raise  the  annual  average  as 
much  as  1*5  to  3°  F.,  which  is  as  great  a  change  as  if 
the  ground  had  actually  been  transported  100  to  150 
miles  further  south. 

A  sandy  desert  presents  the  greatest  extremes  of 
climate,  for  while  the  dry  surface  readily  absorbs  the 


474      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

sun's  heat  so  as  to  rise  even  to  200°  F.  during  the 
day,  it  cools  rapidly  by  radiation,  and  during  a  clear 
night  may  grow  ice-cold. 

The  presence  or  absence  of  vegetation  is  also  an 
important  local  element  of  climate.  When  the  surface 
is  covered  with  vegetation  the  heating  effect  of  the 
sun's  rays  on  the  soil  is  necessarily  diminished,  at 
the  same  time  that  the  radiation  of  heat,  during  the 
night,  from  the  surface  into  space  is  hindered,  so  that 
the  soil  is  neither  heated  nor  cooled  as  much  as  it 
would  be  if  it  were  bare  ;  and  as  leaves  never  become 
so  hot  as  the  soil,  the  presence  of  vegetation  is  an 
equaliser  of  temperature.  The  influence  of  a  large 
forest  on  the  local  climate  is,  therefore,  to  moderate 
both  the  heat  of  day  and  the  cold  of  night. 

The  adjacency  of  lakes  and  other  large  inland 
surfaces  of  water  also  exercises  a  similar  equalising 
effect.  As  the  temperature  of  the  water  on  the  surface 
becomes  lowered  by  the  cold  of  winter,  this  cold  sur- 
face water  descends  to  the  bottom,  and  the  deeper, 
warmer  water  rises  to  the  surface ;  as  this  becomes 
cooled  in  its  turn,  it  sinks  and  allows  another  portion 
of  warmer  water  to  take  its  place.  The  temperature 
of  the  air  lying  over  the  water  is  thus  raised  above 
that  lying  on  the  adjacent  land,  and  the  colder,  heavier 
air  over  the  surrounding  land  flows  down  on  to  the 
surface  of  the  water,  displacing  the  warmer  air  and 
becoming  itself  warmed  in  turn.  Thus  it  is  that  deep 
lakes,  which  do  not  freeze  over  in  winter,  serve  as 
reservoirs  of  warmth  to  keep  the  temperature  of  the 
surrounding  ground  higher  than  that  of  places  only  a 
short  distance  away.  The  reverse  happens  during 
summer,  when  the  water  cools  the  air  on  its  surface 
and  so  lessens  the  heat  of  the  locality. 

We  have  seen  how  the  neighbourhood  of  hills  and 
mountains  may  act  on  local  climates,  either  by  serving 
as  a  screen  or  protection  from  prevailing  winds,  or 
by  cooling  the  upper  air  and  precipitating  rain,  or  in 
causing  local  currents  of  air  moving  alternately  up 
and  down  valleys,  or  in  generating  cold  gusts  of 


CLASSIFICATION    OF    CLIMATES.          475 

wind  which  rush  down  from  the  hills  on  to  the 
plains. 

There  are  also  local  influences  affecting  the  com- 
position of  the  air,  which  have  an  undoubted  influence 
on  the  well-being  of  men.  It  is  well  known  that  the 
air  on  the  sea-coast  and  in  the  open  country  is  purer 
and  richer  in  oxygen  than  it  is  in  the  densely 
crowded  districts  of  populous  cities  ;  whether  its 
salubrity  is  associated  with  the  presence  of  ozone,  as 
used  to  be  generally  admitted,  is  now  regarded  as 
debatable.  Professor  Hann  observes  "it  cannot 
be  doubted  that  the  presence  of  ozone  in  air  shows 
that  this  air  has  active  oxidising  properties,  whether 
this  fact  is  to  be  ascribed  to  the  more  active  form 
of  oxygen  which  is  called  ozone,  or  to  the  presence 
of  peroxide  of  hydrogen.  When  ozone  is  present  in 
considerable  quantity  in  the  atmosphere,  it  is  a  sign 
that  the  air  is  free  from  organic  impurities  and  pro- 
ducts of  decay  ."* 

The  presence  or  absence  of  floating  organic  par- 
ticles in  the  air  has,  no  doubt,  a  great  influence  on  its 
salubrity.  Dr.  Angus  Smith  has  calculated  that  in 
Manchester  the  air  that  a  man  breathes  in  ten  hours 
contains  37,000,000  spores  !  Whereas,  the  air  over 
the  sea  and  in  high  mountain  regions  is  usually 
remarkably  free  from  these  organic  impurities. 

Various  attempts  have  been  made  to  classify 
climates,  with  more  or  less  want  of  success  ;  for,  in 
most  instances,  what  has  been  gained  in  precision  has 
been  lost  in  accuracy. 

We  may,  however,  as  we  have  said,  accept  as 
well  grounded  the  fundamental  division  into  : 

A. — Sea  or  insular  climates. 

B. — Inland  or  continental  climates. 

The  suggested  subdivision  of  climates  into 
(a)  humid  climates  and  (b)  dry  climates,  rather  indi- 
cates approximately  the  characters  of  the  climate  of 

*  "  Handbook  of  Climatology,"  p.  80.     New  York,  1903. 


4;6      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

different  places,  than  affords  a  basis  for  accurate 
classification,  and  the  following  division  is  partly 
comprised  in  the  foregoing  :  (a)  climate  of  plains ; 
(b)  climate  of  altitudes. 

No  less  imperfect  is  the  classification  founded  on 
the  annual  distribution  of  temperature  into  i,  hot ; 
2,  cold  ;  and  3,  temperate  climates,  although  it  has 
a  certain  practical  value,  when  qualified  by  a  know- 
ledge of  the  seasonal  and  diurnal  variations  of 
temperature. 

A. — Sea  or  insular  climates  are  represented  by 
the  climate  of  the  open  sea,  of  small  and  moderate- 
sized  islands,  and  of  sea  coasts.  These  have  much 
in  common,  although  they,  of  course,  vary  according 
to  latitude  and  to  those  other  determining  conditions 
of  climate  which  we  have  considered. 

They  agree  in  possessing  the  following  characters  : 

1.  Their  atmosphere  is  usually  freer  from  organic 
and  inorganic  impurities  than  that  of  inland  plains. 

2.  Owing  to  the  constant  evaporation  from   the 
surface  of  the  sea  their  atmosphere  is  comparatively 
moister  than  that  of  inland  regions,  and  the  amount 
of  atmospheric  humidity  is  less  variable. 

3.  Their  temperature  is  more  equable  than  that 
of  inland  climates,  there  is  less  difference  between 
summer  and  winter  and  day  and  night  temperatures. 

B. — Inland  or  continental  climates  differ  from 
sea  and  coast  climates  in  being  less  equable  and  more 
exposed  to  extremes,  to  great  heat  in  summer  and 
severe  cold  in  winter.  The  east  coast  of  continents 
usually  shares  in  these  extremes. 

The  difficulty  attending  the  further  subdivision  of 
climates  is  at  once  seen  when  we  consider  that  the 
suggested  classifications  of  climates  into  (a)  humid 
and  (b)  dry  climates  very  nearly  coincides  with  the 
preceding,  humid  climates  being  usually  sea  or 
insular  or  coast  climates,  and  dry  climates  being 
ordinarily  continental  or  inland  climates.  There  are 
of  course  exceptions  determined  by  local  conditions. 
Then,  again,  in  the  division  into  (a)  climate  of  plains 


CLASSIFICATION     OF     CLIMATES.  477 

and  (b)  climate  of  altitudes,  it  is  obvious  that  the  first 
of  these  will  coincide  with  sea  or  coast  climates  if  the 
plains  are  adjacent  to  the  sea,  and  with  continental 
climates  if  situated  inland. 

In  the  next  chapter  the  characters  of  sea   and 
mountain  climates  will  be  more  fully  discussed. 


CHAPTER    II. 
SEA   OR   MOUNTAIN  ? 

THE    CHARACTERS    AND      RESTORATIVE      ACTION 
OF    SEA   AND   MOUNTAIN  AIR. 

WE  must,  in  the  first  place,  realise  that  there  is  much 
in  common  in  the  properties  of  sea  and  mountain  air. 
The  presence  of  ozone,  or  some  active  oxidising 
agent,  in  sea  air  in  greater  proportion  than  in  the  air 
of  inland  plains  is  well  established.  This  is  a  pro- 
perty which  it  shares  with  mountain  air.  Its  greater 
abundance  on  the  sea-coast  depends,  in  all  probability, 
on  the  influence  of  sunlight,  which  is  one  of  the  most 
important  sources  of  ozone.  It  purifies  the  air, 
especially  by  determining  the  oxidation  of  decom- 
posing organic  substances.  The  excess  of  this  active 
oxidising  agent  in  sea  air  is,  therefore,  one  of  its  most 
important  properties,  as  it  is  also  one  of  the  most 
important  properties  of  mountain  air. 

Another  hygienic  property  which  sea  air  shares 
with  mountain  air  is  the  absence  in  it  of  organic  dust. 
This  applies  with  especial  force  to  the  air  of  the  open 
sea,  or  on  small  islands,  or  to  points  of  land  standing 
well  out  into  the  sea.  As  the  sea  presents  an  ever- 
moving  fluid  surface,  no  impurities  in  the  shape  of 
organic  dust  can  rest  upon  it,  so  as  to  be  again 
blown  about,  in  mischievous  activity,  with  every  fresh 
breeze. 

Equableness  of  temperature  is  another  charac- 
teristic of  sea  air,  and  one  to  which  it  owes  much  of 
its  beneficial  influence  in  many  cases.  In  this  respect 
it  is  contrasted  with  the  air  of  elevated  regions,  in 
which  the  diurnal  variations  of  temperature  are  often 
very  considerable.  The  temperature  of  the  sea-coast 


OCEANIC    CLIMATES.  479 

is  warmer  in  winter  and  cooler  in  summer  than  that 
of  inland  districts.  This  admits  of  easy  explanation. 
In  the  first  place  the  rapid  cooling  of  the  surface 
of  the  land  by  radiation  into  space,  after  the  sun  has 
gone  down,  is  checked  by  the  amount  of  moisture 
in  the  air.  The  aqueous  vapour  which  is  abundant  in 
sea  air  absorbs  the  heat  given  off  from  the  soil  during 
nocturnal  radiation,  and  acts  as  a  kind  of  screen  to 
retard  the  loss  of  heat  in  this  way.  Hence  great 
variations  between  the  day  and  night  temperatures 
are  rarely  observed  at  the  seaside. 

"  Wherever  the  air  is  dry "  (Tyndall)  "  we  are 
liable  to  daily  extremes  of  temperature.  By  day,  in 
such  places,  the  sun's  heat  reaches  the  earth  unim- 
peded, and  renders  the  maximum  high  ;  by  night, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  earth's  heat  escapes  un- 
hindered into  space,  and  renders  the  minimum  low. 
Hence  the  difference  between  the  maximum  and 
minimum  is  greatest  where  the  air  is  driest." 

During  the  heat  of  the  day  the  air  over  the  sea 
is  always  cooler  than  that  over  the  land  ;  for  the 
surface  of  the  land  gets  rapidly  heated  and  com- 
municates its  heat  to  the  superjacent  strata  of  air  ; 
but  when  the  sun's  rays  fall  on  water  they  are  not, 
as  in  the  case  of  land,  arrested  at  the  surface,  but 
penetrate  to  a  considerable  depth,  so  that  water  is 
heated  much  more  slowly  by  the  sun's  rays,  as  well 
as  cooled  more  slowly  by  nocturnal  radiation  than 
the  land.  Moreover,  the  evaporation  which  is  always 
going  on  at  the  surface  of  the  sea,  and  going  on 
rapidly  where  the  sun's  rays  are  powerful,  carries 
away  some  of  the  heat  of  the  surface-water,  and  helps 
to  keep  the  air  in  contact  with  it  cool. 

We  have  already  referred  (Chap.  I.)  to  the  re- 
freshing currents  of  air  produced  by  the  inequality 
in  the  heating  and  cooling  of  the  atmosphere  on  the 
land  and  over  the  sea. 

On  account  of  their  equableness  of  temperature, 
oceanic  climates — the  most  equable  of  all  climates- 
are  said  to  afford  almost  absolute  immunity  from 


480       CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

colds.*  It  is  only  on  board  ship  that  such  a  climate 
in  its  perfection  can  be  found.  A  very  near  approach 
to  it,  however,  may  be  obtained  on  small  islands 
situated  at  some  distance  from  land. 

The  chief  characteristics  of  sea  air — an  equable 
temperature  and  a  high  degree  of  humidity— are 
soothing  rather  than  bracing  properties,  and  if  it  were 
not  for  the  currents  of  air  induced  on  the  sea-coasts, 
as  has  been  explained,  they  might  be  found  actually 
relaxing,  and  this  is  no  doubt  the  case  in  warm  and 
cloudy  weather  on  our  own  south-western  shores.  In 
these  respects,  therefore,  sea  air  offers  a  great  contrast 
to  mountain  air.  The  same  is  the  case  with  regard 
to  its  density.  The  absolute  density  of  sea  air  is,  of 
course,  greater  than  that  of  the  air  at  any  higher  level, 
and  it  must  therefore  contain,  bulk  for  bulk,  more 
oxygen  ;  and  it  follows  that  in  breathing  sea  air  we 
take  more  oxygen  into  the  lungs  in  a  given  time  than 
in  the  air  we  breathe  at  places  above  the  level  of  the 
sea  ;  that  is,  supposing  in  both  cases  we  breathe  with 
equal  frequency  and  equal  amplitude.  But  it  does 
not  necessarily  follow,  because  an  absolutely  larger 
quantity  of  oxygen  exists  in  a  given  volume  of  sea  air 
than  in  the  same  volume  .of  mountain  air,  that  more 
oxygen,  on  that  account,  is  taken  into  the  blood  at  the 
seaside  than  on  higher  ground.  In  the  first  place, 
the  oxygen  may  be,  for  aught  we  know,  in  a  more 
active  form  in  mountain  than  in  sea  air  ;  its  chemical 
energy  may  be  greater,  and  therefore  the  nutritive 
changes  dependent  on  respiration  may  be  accelerated, 
though  the  air  be  thinner,  and  poorer  in  its  absolute 
quantity  of  oxygen  ;  or,  in  the  second  place,  the  res- 
piratory act  may  be  so  much  increased  in  frequency  on 
the  mountains,  that  although  less  oxygen  is  taken  into 
the  lungs  at  each  breath,  yet  by  deeper  and  more 
frequent  inspirations  much  more  may  be  received 
into  the  organism  in  a  given  time. 

*  It  has  also  been  observed  that,  after  a  sea  voyage,  on 
landing,  there  is  much  greater  proneness  to  take  cold,  and 
extra  precautions  are  necessary  to  guard  against  it. 


MOUNTAIN   A 1^  48! 

Another  important  point  to  be  attended  to  is 
the  great  and  frequent  variations  of  barometric 
pressure  met  with  on  the  sea  and  on  sea-coasts. 
Now  it  has  been  shown  by  careful  experiment  that 
all  rapid  variations  in  atmospheric  pressure  increase 
the  activity  of  the  circulatory  and  respiratory  organs, 
and  that  the  perfection  of  organic  life  depends  on 
these  alternations  of  excitement  and  repose. 

It  has  also  been  shown  that  the  barometric 
variations  at  the  seaside,  besides  being  greater  in 
amount  than  inland,  occur  with  far  more  regularity, 
a  circumstance  which  is  regarded  as  tending  to  pro 
mote  the  accommodation  of  the  organism  to  these 
conditions. 

These,  then,  are  the  most  important  properties  of 
sea  air :  i,  Excess  of  what  has  been  known  as 
"  ozone "  ;  2,  excess  of  aqueous  vapour  and  conse- 
quently greater  equability  of  temperature  ;  3,  great 
purity  and  absence  of  organic  particles  ;  4,  maximum 
density  and  great  but  regular  variations  of  barometric 
pressure.  Of  minor  importance  are  the  presence  of 
saline  particles  suspended  in  the  air,  which,  of  course, 
vary  greatly  in  amount,  according  as  the  sea  is  calm 
or  agitated,  and  probably  exercise  a  mildly  stimulat- 
ing effect  on  the  respiratory  mucous  membrane.  The 
small  amount  of  iodine  and  bromine  diffused  in  sea 
air  may  not  be  without  a  real  influence  on  some 
organisms. 

In  the  next  place  let  us  examine  the  character- 
istic properties  of  mountain  air.  And  here,  at  the 
very  outset,  we  come  upon  a  very  remarkable  contrast. 
There  was  no  need  to  define  what  we  meant  by  sea 
air,  although  its  effects  may  be  greatly  modified  by 
circumstances  of  locality.  But  are  we  always  sure 
what  we  mean  when  we  use  the  teFm  mountain  air  ? 
In  Scotland  and  Wales  we  speak  of  mountain  air  at  a 
few  hundred  feet  above  the  sea,  considerably  below 
the  level  of  the  towns  of  Lucerne  or  Geneva.  In  Ger- 
many we  hear  of  mountain  air  at  1,200  and  1,500  feet 
above  the  sea,  and  in  the  Engadine  at  6,000  feet,  in 
Q 


482       CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Mexico  at  12,000  !  Now  if  we  think  only  of  one 
quality  of  mountain  air,  viz.  its  rarefaction,  it  is  quite 
clear  that  we  must  be  using  the  same  term  to  express 
very  different  things.  But  if  we  are  thinking  only  of 
the  general  bracing  effects  and  hygienic  qualities  of 
mountain  air,  we  may  find  these,  no  doubt,  at  very 
various  elevations,  and  we  may  even  find  them  in 
great  perfection  at  comparatively  low  levels.  An 
open  plateau  in  a  temperate  climate  at  an  elevation 
of  2,000  or  3,000  feet  above  the  sea  will  certainly 
possess  a  more  bracing  air  than  a  close  valley,  in  a 
hot  climate,  at  twice  that  height. 

If  we  confine  our  attention  to  the  continent  of 
Europe  we  may  take  the  Upper  Engadine  (5,000 
to  6,000  feet)  as  the  extreme  limit  of  a  permanently 
inhabited  mountain  district.  For  all  practical  pur- 
poses of  comparison  we  may  take  an  elevation  of 
6,000  feet  as  the  limit  in  one  direction  of  a  habit- 
able European  mountain  climate,  and  in  the  other 
direction  such  elevations  as  Glion,  above  Montreux, 
2,900  feet ;  and  Seelisberg,  2,400  feet,  on  the  Lake  of 
Lucerne.  Places  at  a  lower  elevation  than  these, 
although  they  may  have  many  advantages  as  health 
resorts,  can  scarcely  be  admitted  into  the  category 
of  mountain  climates.  Of  localities  such  as  these, 
then,  ranging  between  2,000  and  6,000  feet  above  the 
sea  level,  we  have,  within  tolerably  easy  access,  a  great 
number  to  choose  from ;  while  there  are  a  few,  for 
exceptional  needs  and  for  short  periods  of  residence 
(in  the  summer  season),  between  6,000  and  8,000  feet. 

There  seems  good  reason  to  believe  that  at  higher 
elevations  than  these  the  air  reaches  a  degree  of  rare- 
faction which  is  inconsistent  with  the  maintenance  of 
vigorous  health. 

Diminution  of  atmospheric  pressure  is,  then,  one 
of  the  chief  properties  of  mountain  air.  It  has 
been  calculated  that  at  an  elevation  of  2,500  feet 
we  lose  about  one-eighth  of  the  atmospheric  pressure, 
at  5,000  a  sixth,  at  7,500  feet  a  fourth,  and  at  16,000 
a  half. 


MOUNTAIN    AIR.  483 

Another  important  property  of  mountain  air  is  its 
lower    temperature.      It   is    well    known    that   the 
temperature  of  the  air   diminishes  in  proportion  to 
the  altitude.     From  observations  made  in  the  Alps  of 
Switzerland  the  medium  loss  of  temperature  was  found  . 
to  be  i '8°  F.  for  every  520  feet  of  elevation  during 
summer,  and  for  every  910  feet  in  winter.     Whence 
it  follows  that  the  tops  of  mountains  are  relatively 
warmer  in  winter  than  in  summer.     It  has,  however, 
been  pointed  out  that  there  are  extraordinary  modi- 
fications, amounting  frequently  to  subversions  of  the 
law,  of  the  decrease  of  temperature  with  the  height, 
owing  to  the  circumstance  that  "  the  effects  of  radia- 
tion will  be  felt  in  different  degrees  and  intensities 
in    different  places.      As   the   air  in    contact   with 
declivities  of  hills  and  rising  grounds  becomes  cooled 
by  contact  with  the  cooled  surface,  it  acquires  greater 
density,  and  consequently  flows  down  the  slopes  and 
accumulates  on  the  low-lying  ground  at  their  base. 
It  follows,   therefore,  that  places  on  rising  ground 
are  never  exposed  to  the  full  intensity  of  frosts  at 
night ;  and  the  higher  they  are  situated  relatively  to 
the  immediately  surrounding  district  the  less  they  are 
exposed,  since  their  relative  elevation  provides  a  ready 
escape  downwards  for  the  cold  air  almost  as  speedily 
as  it  is  produced."     Hence  a  southern  slope  at  a  con- 
siderably greater  elevation  may  have  a  higher  night 
temperature  than  a  neighbouring  valley.     "  On  the 
other  hand,  valleys   surrounded  by  hills   and  high 
grounds  not  only  retain  their  own  cold  of  radiation, 
but  also  serve  as  reservoirs  for  the  cold  heavy  air 
which  pours  down  upon  them  from  the  neighbour- 
ing heights."     And  at  the  numerous  meteorological 
stations  in  Switzerland  it  is  observed  that  "  in  calm 
weather  in  winter,  when  the  ground  becomes  colder 
than  the  air  above  it,  systems  of  descending  currents 
of  air  set  in  over   the  whole    face  of  the  country. 
The    direction     and     force     of    these      descending 
currents    follow    the    irregularities    of  the    surface, 
and,  like  currents  of  water,  they  tend  to  converge 


484      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

and  unite  in  the  valleys  and  gorges,  down  which 
they  flow  like  rivers  in  their  beds.  Since  the 
place  of.  these  air-currents  must  be  taken  by  others, 
it  follows  that  on  such  occasions  the  temperature  of 
the  tops  of  mountains  and  high  grounds  is  relatively 
high,  because  the  counter  currents  come  from  a  greater 
height  and  are  therefore  warmer."  So  the  "  gradual 
narrowing  of  a  valley  tends  to  a  more  rapid  lowering 
of  the  temperature,  for  the  obvious  reason  that  the 
valley  thereby  resembles  a  basin  almost  closed,  being 
thus  a  receptacle  for  the  cold  air-currents  which 
descend  from  all  sides.  The  bitterly  cold  furious 
gusts  of  wind  which  are  often  encountered  in 
mountainous  regions  during  night  are  simply  this 
out-rush  of  cold  air  from  such  basins."* 

Considerations  such  as  these  are  of  importance  in 
determining  the  hygienic  character  of  any  particular 
mountain  health  resort. 

The  question  of  the  humidity  or  dryness  of 
mountain  air  is  one  not  easy  to  resolve.  The  air  on 
the  summits  of  high  mountains  is  no  doubt  dryer  than 
the  air  at  lower  levels.  But  at  intermediate  levels, 
considerations  other  than  those  of  altitude  alone 
determine  the  relative  humidity  or  dryness  of  the 
atmosphere  ;  so  that  each  mountain  station  must,  to 
a  great  extent,  be  judged  of  by  itself  with  regard  to 
this  very  important  point.  Perhaps,  as  a  general  rule, 
one  may  say  that  the  higher  the  locality  the  less  rain 
falls ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  we  have  to  face  the 
startling  tact  that  twice  as  much  rain  and  snow  fall 
at  the  St.  Bernard  and  St.  Gothard  stations  as  at 
Geneva  !  Much  will,  however,  necessarily  depend  on 
the  configuration  of  the  ground,  as  well  as  its  aspect. 
A  mountain  ridge  facing  the  direction  from  which 
moist  winds  habitually  blow  will  condense  their 
moisture  and  precipitate  it  in  the  form  of  rain  or 
snow  on  its  sides,  or  on  the  valleys  or  plains  at  its 


*  Article  "Climate,"    "Encyclopaedia   Britannica."      New 
edition 


MOUNTAIN    AIR.  485 

base ;  while  more  remote  summits  of  the  same 
mountain  chain  and  the  higher  mountain  valleys  on 
the  other  side  of  the  chain  may  be  thus  protected  and 
screened  from  heavy  and  prolonged  rainfalls. 

Thus  the  moist  Atlantic  winds  blowing  against  the 
western  ranges  of  Scotland  and  Cumberland  determine 
the  great  rainfall  in  these  regions  ;  and  the  town  of 
Santa  Fe  de  Bogota  in  the  Andes,  at  an  elevation  of 
8,600  feet,  is  visited  with  almost  incessant  rain,  owing 
to  its  situation  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain  on  the  sides 
of  which  the  warm  trade-winds  of  the  South  Pacific 
Ocean  become  cooled,  and  condense  their  moisture. 

The  presence  or  absence  of  vegetation  will  also 
exercise  a  determining  influence  as  to  the  relative 
humidity  of  the  atmosphere.  We  must,  therefore, 
bear  in  mind  that  certain  topographical  conditions 
will  frequently  induce,  in  stations  of  considerable 
altitude,  a  moister  atmosphere  than  is  found  on  the 
neighbouring  plains.  But  if  we  consider  the  effect  of 
altitude  alone,  it  is  easy  to  understand  how  the  air  ol 
elevated  regions  must  be,  cwteris  paribus,  dryer  than 
that  of  lower  situations. 

In  the  first  place,  the  lower  the  atmospheric  pressure 
the  more  rapid  is  the  process  of  evaporation,  and  hence 
the  boiling-point  of  water  is  28*3°  F.  less  on  the  top 
of  Mont  Blanc  than  at  the  sea  level. 

Secondly,  the  energy  of  the  sun's  rays,  and  there- 
fore their  drying  effect  on  the  atmosphere,  is  greater 
the  less  the  thickness  and  density  of  the  layer  of 
air  they  have  to  traverse.  The  slope  of  the  soil,  the 
absence  of  vegetation  at  great  heights,,  and  the  greater 
intensity  of  the  aerial  currents  all  tend  to  promote 
dryness  of  the  atmosphere. 

Mountain  air  differs,  then,  from  sea  air  in  three 
main  particulars  :  i,  In  its  diminished  density  ;  2,  in 
its  lower  temperature  ;  3,  in  containing  less  humidity. 
The  temperature  is  not  only  lower  than  that  of  sea 
air,  it  is  also  less  equable.  Owing  to  the  clearness  of 
the  air,  the  absence  of  moisture,  and  the  energy  of  the 
sun's  rays,  very  great  differences  between  the  day 


486      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

and  night  temperature  are  constantly  found  at  great 
elevations.  There  is  but  little  aqueous  vapour  in  the 
air  to  prevent  nocturnal  radiation  into  stellar  space 
from  the  surface  of  the  soil,  greatly  heated  during  the 
day  by  the  solar  rays  ;  thus  there  is  usually  a  rapid 
fall  of  temperature  when  the  sun  goes  down.  In 
summer  a  difference  of  40  to  50°  F.  between  the  day 
and  night  temperatures  will  sometimes  be  registered. 
There  is  often  also  a  very  great  difference  between  the 
sun  and  shade  temperatures  during  the  day. 

Mountain  air  resembles  sea  air  in  containing  an 
excess  of  ozone,  in  its  freedom  from  organic  and 
other  impurities,  in  being  cooler  in  summer  than  the 
air  of  inland  plains,  and  in  the  fact  that  its  monthly 
and  annual  variations  of  temperature  are  less  than  on 
inland  plains. 

The  study  of  mountain  climates  has  hitherto 
taken  the  form,  chiefly,  of  an  investigation  into  the 
physiological  effects  of  diminished  atmospheric 
pressure  on  the  human  organism.  Since  different 
individuals  are  very  variously  endowed  with  the 
power  of  accommodating  themselves  to  altered 
external  conditions,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at 
that  some  discrepancies  are  to  be  found  in  the 
statements  of  different  observers  as  to  the  effects 
upon  themselves  and  others  of  alterations  of  atmo- 
spheric pressure. 

Jourdanet  maintains  that  persons  who  are  not 
accustomed  to  a  rarefied  atmosphere  begin  to  suffer 
inconvenience  when  they  attain  an  elevation  of  be- 
tween 6,000  and  7,000  feet.  Most  of  those  who  have 
reported  their  experiences  of  mountain  ascents  in 
Europe  have  not  experienced  any  noticeable  incon- 
venience until  they  reached  nearly  10,000  feet. 
Soldiers  going  to  Himalayan  stations  at  7,500  feet 
complain  at  first  of  shortness  of  breath,  and  have  a 
quicker  and  more  feeble  pulse  ;  but  these  effects  are 
temporary.  Of  the  serious  effects  of  exposure  to  the 
highly  rarefied  air  of  very  considerate  elevations  we 
have  most  valuable  evidence  ia  the  records  of 


MOUNTAIN    SICKNESS.  487 

Glaisher's  balloon  ascents.  Acceleration  of  the 
pulse  was  one  of  the  first  effects  noted.  At  1 6,000 
feet  it  had  risen  from  76  to  100.  Between  18,000  and 
1 9,000  feet  both  Glaisher  and  his  companion  suffered 
from  violent  palpitations,  with  difficulty  of  breathing  ; 
then  their  lips  and  hands  became  of  a  deep  blue  colour. 
As  they  continued  to  ascend  their  respiration  became 
more  laborious.  On  another  occasion,  at  27,000  feet, 
Glaisher  became  unconscious.  The  attack  came  on 
with  indistinctness  of  vision,  inability  to  move  arms 
or  legs,  though  he  could  move  his  neck  ;  then  he  lost 
his  sight  completely,  though  he  could  still  hear  his 
companion  speak,  but  he  could  not  answer  him. 
Then  he  became  wholly  unconscious.  He  also 
describes  a  feeling  of  nausea,  like  sea-sickness,  coming 
on  at  great  elevations. 

The  following  are  the  various  symptoms  of 
"  Mountain  Sickness"  that  have  been  recorded  by 
many  different  observers  as  occurring  durine  the 
ascent  of  lofty  peaks  or  on  elevated  plains.  Great 
loss  of  muscular  power,  palpitations,  quick  and 
laborious  respiration,  bleeding  from  the  nose  or 
gums,  drowsiness,  severe  headache,  nausea  and 
vomiting,  great  thirst,  mental  depression,  enfeebled 
senses,  and  impaired  memory.  The  superficial  veins 
become  distended,  the  face  pale  and  bluish.  These 
symptoms  were  aggravated  by  exertion  and  mitigated 
by  rest.  Another  significant  symptom,  reported  on 
good  authority,  both  in  mountain  and  balloon 
ascents,  is  increasing  coldness  of  the  body  beyond 
what  would  be  accounted  for  by  the  lower  tem- 
perature of  these  elevations. 

It  seems  certain,  then,  both  from  the  evidence  of 
these  actual  observations,  and  from  the  experimental 
researches  of  the  late  M.  Bert  in  the  laboratory 
of  the  College  de  France,  that  when  the  rarefaction 
of  the  air  reaches  a  certain  degree,  the  due  oxy- 
genation  of  the  blood  is  interfered  with,  and  we 
get  symptoms  developed  which  point  to  oxygen- 
starvation,  and  to  obstruction  in  the  circulation 


488       CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

through  the  lungs.  In  M.  Bert's  experiments  it 
appeared  that  slight  degrees  of  diminution  of  atmo- 
spheric pressure  did  not  lessen  the  affinity  of  the 
aerial  oxygen  for  the  blood  corpuscles  ;  but  when 
that  diminution  approached,  or  reached,  one  quarter 
of  the  whole  atmospheric  pressure,  perceptible  dis- 
turbances ensued. 

M.  Jourdanet  *  believed  that  the  oxygenation 
of  the  blood  is  not  injuriously  affected  by  residence 
at  an  elevation  below7  6,500  feet,  but  that  above  this 
elevation  the  respiratory  functions  become  disturbed, 
and  the  due  oxygenation  of  the  blood  is  interfered 
with.  Lombard  also  states  that  the  monks  of 
St.  Bernard,  after  several  years'  residence  there, 
present  various  signs  of  anaemia,  and  that  these  are 
occasionally  so  grave  as  to  necessitate  a  removal  to 
the  plains. 

Not  less  important  than  its  rarefaction  is  the 
dryness  of  mountain  air.  Dryness  of  the  air  has  an 
important  influence  on  the  activity  of  the  bodily 
functions.  _ Herbert  Spencer  has  pointed  out  that 
"  other  circumstances  being  alike,  there  will  be  more 
bodily  activity  in  the  people  of  hot  and  dry  localities 
than  in  the  people  of  hot  and  humid  ones,"  and 
that  in  tracing  the  progress  of  different  races  of  man- 
kind "  we  get  strong  reasons  for  inferring  a  relation 
between  constitutional  vigour  and  the  presence  of  an 
air  which  by  its  warmth  and  dryness  facilitates 
the  vital' actions." 

Mountain  air  is  not  only  dryer  than  sea  air  and 
the  air  of  inland  plains,  but,  as  we  have  seen,  it 
is  also  colder.  Now  this  lowering  of  temperature 
tends,  to  a  certain  degree,  to  compensate  for  the 
deficiency  of  oxygen  dependent  on  its  elevation. 
For  instance,  in  a  given  volume  of  air  at  1,400 
feet  above  the  sea,  at  a  temperature  of  32°  F.,  there 
is  as  much  oxygen  as  in  the  same  volume  of  air  at 
the  sea  level  at  60°  F.  So  that  such  virtues  as  are 

*  "  Influence  de  la  Pression  de  1'Air  sur  la  vie  de  1'Homme." 


RESORTS    FOR    CONVALESCENTS.  489 

lessened  in  mountain  air  by  its  elevation  are,  in  part, 
restored  by  its  coldness. 

Having    now    considered  the  properties  of   sea 
and   mountain   air,   having  noted   in   what  particu- 
lars they  agree  and  in  what   important  points  they 
differ,   we  .  are     prepared     to     approach     the     con- 
sideration of  the  following  highly  practical  questions  : 
Who  should  go  to  the  mountains  ?   who  should  go  to 
the   sea  ?   and  who  should  go  to  neither  ?     There 
is  no  greater  mistake  made  than  that  very  general 
one    of   sending    all    convalescents  to    the   seaside, 
except  the  still  greater  one  of  actually  embarking 
them  on  a  sea  voyage  !      It  arises   from   the  very 
natural  desire  to   hasten   convalescence  after   acute 
disease.     But    these    unwise     attempts    to    hasten 
convalescence     are     the     very     frequent     cause     of 
serious   relapses.       In    the    general    debility    which 
follows   a  fever,   or   an   acute  inflammation,  all   the 
organs  share — the  organs  of  nutrition,  the  secretory, 
the     circulatory,    the    eliminatory    organs,    are    all 
feeble    and    unable     to     do    much    work     without 
exhaustion.       If   an     attempt    is    made     to     over- 
stimulate   them,   if    an   appetite    is    induced   before 
digestive  power  has  been  regained,  a  feverish   state 
is    frequently    re-excited,  and  the   very   effort   that 
has  been  made  to  hasten  recovery  retards  it. 

Sea  and  mountain  air  are  alike  too  stimulating 
and  exciting  for  many  such  cases.  They  arouse  to 
premature  activity  when  the  organism  can  best 
strengthen  itself  by  absolute  repose.  Pure,  unexciting 
country  air,  in  a  locality  where  the  patient  can 
be  much  in  the  open  air  while  thoroughly  pro- 
tected from  cold  winds— that  is  the  safest  and 
best  place  for  the  invalid  to  slowly,  but  steadily, 
regain  health  after  severe  acute  disease.  Sea  or 
mountain  air  may,  however,  be  beneficial  later 
on,  when  a  stronger  tonic  influence  is  needed. 

Speaking  generally,  those  who  seek  health  in  high 
mountain  districts  should  be  capable  of  a  certain 
amount  of  muscular  activity.  Those  who  suffer  from 


490      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

great  muscular  debility  as  well  as  general  exhaustion, 
and  who  need  absolute  or  almost  absolute  repose,  are 
unsuited  for  mountain  climates.  These  climates  are 
too  changeful,  and  too  exciting ;  and  such  persons, 
when  they  find  themselves  in  cold,  rarefied,  exciting 
mountain  air,  are  apt  to  become  chilled,  depressed, 
and  dyspeptic.  Much  repose  at  an  agreeable  seaside 
resort,  with  a  residence  at  a  little  distance  from  the 
sea,  is  more  suitable  to  such  persons. 

There  are  others,  however,  who,  writh  vigorous 
frames  and  much  actual  or  latent  power  of  muscular 
activity,  become  mentally  exhausted  by  the  strain  of 
incessant  mental  labour,  anxious  cares,  or  absorbing 
occupations.  Mental  irritability  usually  accompanies 
this  exhaustion,  great  depression  of  spirits,  with  unrest 
of  mi  ad  and  body.  These  are  the  typical  cases  for  the 
mountains,  which  both  stimulate  to  and  afford  oppor- 
tunity for  muscular  exertion,  the  bracing  atmosphere 
rousing  the  physical  energies  and  re-awakening  the . 
sense  of  powers  unimpaired  and  unexhausted,  while 
the  soothing  effect  of  the  quiet  and  stillness  of  high 
mountain  regions  brings  rest  and  renovation  to  the 
over- worn  mind. 

For  convalescents  after  surgical  operation,  where 
the  processes  of  tissue-change  require  hastening  with- 
out necessitating  any  activity  in  the  patient  himself, 
the  seaside  is  best. 

Sea  air  is  better  suited  than  mountain  air  to 
persons  who  cannot  bear  great  and  sudden  changes 
of  temperature,  as  is  the  case  with  most  of  those  who 
suffer  from  grave  chronic  maladies. 

A  certain  morbid  sensitiveness  to  cold,  or  rather 
to  "  taking  cold,"  is  often  greatly  lessened  by  a 
residence  in  the  bracing  rarefied  air  of  elevated 
localities,  and  the  same  good  effects  are  also  to  be 
obtained  from  exposure  to  a  bracing  sea  air,  especially 
if  accompanied  by  sea-bathing. 

Speaking  within  very  wide  limits,  mountain  air  is 
less  suitable  to  persons  advanced  in  years  than  sea  air. 
The  very  stimulus  to  muscular  exertion  which  moun- 


RESORTS    FOR   CONVALESCENTS.  491 

tain  air  produces  is  to  persons  much  past  middle  life 
often  a  pitfall  and  a  snare.  Qui  va  doucement,  va  loin, 
is  especially  applicable  to  this  period  of  life,  and  the 
state  of  feverish  activity  which  is  sometimes  induced 
in  aged  persons  in  the  mountains  is  not  by  any  means 
for  their  good. 

We  must  not  forget  to  consider  that  the  effects 
of  sea  air  vary  very  much  with  locality.  The  very 
bracing  effects  which  German  physicians  observe 
in  the  isle  of  Norderney  would  not  be  found  in  the 
often  warm,  moist  air  of  some  parts  of  our  own  south- 
western coast.  The  former  locality  is,  no  doubt, 
much  under  the  influence  of  the  cold,  dry,  continental 
east  winds.  The  watering  places  on  our  east  coast 
enjoy  a  much  more  bracing  and  less  humid  atmosphere 
than  those  on  our  west  and  south-west  coasts,  and 
those  on  the  north  coast  of  France  and  Belgium 
have  a  dryer  air  than  either. 

In  the  following  chapters  we  shall  pass  in  review 
the  sea-coast  and  mountain  resorts  which  are  of 
chief  interest  to  invalids. 


CHAPTER    III. 
SEASIDE   RESORTS   IN  THE   UNITED   KINGDOM. 

/. — England  and  Wales. 

IT  will  be  convenient  to  describe  our  own  seaside 
resorts  in  the  following  order  ;  passing  westward  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Thames,  round  the  Land's  End  to 
the  north-west  coast  of  Cornwall  and  north  coast  of 
Devon  ;  then  the  Welsh  coast  and  the  north-west 
resorts  of  England  and,  leaving  Scotland  for  the 
present,  return  by  the  north-east  and  east  coasts  again 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Thames. 

Herne  Bay  is  the  nearest  seaside  resort  to  London 
on  the  Kentish  coast.  It  is  sixty-three  miles  irom 
London  and  eight  from  Canterbury,  and  is  reached  in 
rather  less  than  two  hours  by  the  South  Eastern  and 
Chatham  Railway.  It  is  situated  on  a  fine  bay  on 
the  estuary  of  the  Thames,  with  a  beach  of  shingle, 
and  like  the  neighbouring  resorts,  Westgate  and 
Margate,  it  has  a  north-eastern  aspect,  and  is  open 
to  the  breezes  from  the  North  Sea,  and  its  climate, 
like  that  of  those  places,  is  tonic  and  stimulating. 
There  is  a  good  promenade,  a  mile  long,  where  are 
the  baths,  and  it  has  an  iron  pier.  The  surrounding 
country  is  flat,  and  there  is  little  protection  from  pre- 
vailing winds.  Its  rainfall  is  said  to  be  below  and 
its  amount  of  sunshine  above  the  average.  Fog  is 
rare. 

Birchington- on-Sea,  which  has  recently  come  into 
notice  as  a  seaside  resort,  is  sixty -nine  miles  from 
London  and  only  three  and  a-half  from  Margate..  It 
is  situated  on  elevated  ground  and  is  bounded  on 
the  sea-coast  by  bluff  cliffs.  It  has  a  sandy  beach. 
The  village,  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  in  length, 
lies  on  the  old  London  and  Canterbury  road.  It  is  a 


WESTGATE,   MARGATE.  493 

quiet  resort,  well  suited  to  those  who  are  seeking  rest 
and  retirement.  Its  climate  is  dry,  windy,  cold  and 
breezy.  There  is  a  fair  amount  of  sunshine,  a 
relatively  small  rainfall,  and  but  little  fog. 

Westgate-on-Sea  has  grown  rapidly  into  popu- 
larity as  a  health  resort.  It  is  one  and  a-half  miles 
irom  Margate,  of  which  parish  it  once  formed  a  part. 
It  is  in  an  open  situation  facing  north  without  much 
protection  from  winds.  It  enjoys  a  good  deal  of 
sunshine,  and  the  soil  dries  rapidly  after  rain.  Good 
roads  have  been  made  and  sea  walls  built  round  the 
curves  of  St.  Mildred's  and  Westgate  Bays,  forming 
two  promenades  over  a  mile  in  length,  from  which  by 
steps  the  sands  or  cliffs  are  easily  accessible.  Gardens 
also  have  been  made  on  the  cliffs,  where  there  is  a 
marine  drive  two  miles  in  length.  The  air  is  bracing 
and  pure,  and  the  water  supply  is  pure,  abundant, 
and  continuous.  The  sea  bathing  is  good  and  safe,  on 
a  sandy  bottom. 

Westgate  is  a  salubrious  and  convenient  seaside 
resort  for  families  with  children  who  require  good 
bracing  sea  air  and  pleasant,  quiet  sea  bathing. 

Margate  is  one  of  the  most  bracing  of  our  seaside 
resorts,  within  two  hours'  railway  journey  of  London, 
and  within  about  five  hours  by  river  steamer.  It  must 
not  be  forgotten,  in  estimating  the  special  qualities  of 
the  climate  of  Margate,  that  its  aspect  is  north  or 
north-east.  In  this  respect  it  differs  entirely  from 
the  neighbouring  coast  town  of  Ramsgate,  which  is 
so  placed  in  an  indentation  of  the  coast-line  as  to  look 
south-east.  From  this  difference  of  aspect  it  not  un- 
frequently  happens  that  the  local  weather  differs 
considerably  in  these  two  places,  only  a  few  miles 
apart,  for  a  storm  may  be  raging  at  Margate  which  is 
scarcely  felt  at  Ramsgate.  It  happens  also  from  this 
northerly  or  north-easterly  aspect  of  Margate  that 
during  the  prevalence  of  the  north-easterly  winds  of 
spring  it  is  one  of  the  very  lew  conveniently  accessible 
seaside  resorts  where,  during  that  season,  pure  sea  air 
can  be  obtained.  For  the  prevailing  north-east  winds 


494      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

blow  directly  over  the  North  Sea  and  the  northern 
portion  of  the  British  Channel  on  to  Margate  and  the 
line  of  coast  of  which  it  forms  a  part,  whereas  during 
the  same  season  the  prevailing  winds  at  the  resorts 
on  the  southern  coast  are  land-winds,  and  blow  off 
the  land  out  to  sea,  driving  off,  as  it  were,  the  sea 
air — hence  probably  the  great  value  which  Margate  air 
is  known  to  possess  in  scrofulous  affections. 

It  has  a  chalk  subsoil,  and  the  ground  quickly 
becomes  dry  alter  rain.  The  water  supply  is  abundant 
and  pure. 

The  best  residential  part  of  the  town  is  at 
Cliftonville ;  it  lies  much  higher  than  the  rest  of 
the  town. 

Margate  is  too  windy  for  ordinary  cases  of  chest 
disease,  except  in  the  summer  months,  but  it  is 
especially  beneficial  to  cases  of  scrofulous  disease  in 
children  and  to  those  of  convalescence  after  surgical 
operations.  This  fact  has  led  to  the  establishment 
there  of  that  excellent  institution,  "  The  Royal  Sea- 
Bathing  Infirmary,  or  Royal  National  Hospital  for 
Scrofula." 

The  air  of  Margate  is  excellent  for  promoting  the 
progress  of  slowly  healing  wounds  and  ulcers,  and  it 
is  valuable  in  cases  of  debility  from  inherited  feeble- 
ness of  constitution. 

Its  autumn  climate  is  often  very  fine. 

Margate  is  celebrated  for  its  sands,  which  are  very 
extensive  owing  to  the  shallowness  of  the  water. 
They  are  therefore  the  delight  of  children.  Its 
relative  humidity  varies  between  80  and  90,  the 
mean  being  82.  The  average  annual  rainfall  is  about 
23  inches,  and  the  number  of  rainy  days  about  170. 
The  average  winter  temperature  (October  to  March) 
is  reported  to  be  42*1°  F.,  and  in  January,  the  coldest 
month,  38-9°  F. 

Broadstairs  is  a  quiet  little  seaside  town, 
especially  the  resort  of  young  children,  who  can 
bathe  and  amuse  themselves  all  day  long  on  its 
sheltered  sands.  It  is  built  on  the  cliffs  about 


RAMSGATE,    ST.    MARGARETS    BAY.        495 

half-way  between  Ramsgate  and  Margate,  and  looks 
almost  due  east. 

The  climatic  characteristics  of  the  place  are 
the  same  as  at  the  other  resorts  in  the  Isle  of 
Thanet.  The  subsoil  is  chalk.  The  greater  part 
of  the  district  is  from  120  feet  to  150  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea.  Some  of  the  residential  parts 
enjoy  much  protection  from  winds,  except  from 
the  south-east. 

Ramsgate  (and  St.  Lawrence,  its  north-western 
surburb),  unlike  Margate,  has  a  south-eastern  aspect. 
It  is  somewhat  warmer  than  Margate,  and  is  more 
protected  from  northerly  and  north-easterly  winds. 
Its  air  is,  however,  bracing  and  tonic,  and,  like 
Margate,  it  has  fine  sands  for  bathing.  Its  climate 
has  been  described  as  "  relatively  warm,  relatively 
equable,  and  moderately  dry — sky  moderately  free 
from  cloud — rainfall  and  number  of  rainy  days 
smaller  than  those  of  the  great  majority  of  stations  in 
England."*  The  drainage  and  water  supply  are  good. 

The  harbour  and  town  lie  between  two  cliffs, 
the  east  and  west,  where  most  of  the  visitors  reside. 
Ramsgate  may  be  reached  by  rail  in  two  hours  from 
London.  There  are  steamers  also  from  London 
Bridge  in  six  hours.  The  five  preceding  resorts 
are  in  the  Isle  of  Thanet  and  partake  of  the 
characters  of  its  climate,  which  are  mainly  due 
to  its  chalky  soil  and  its  exposure  to  winds.  Owing 
to  the  flatness  of  the  country  it  gets  a  great  amount 
of  sunshine. 

St.  Margaret's  Bay,  situated  between  Deal  and 
Dover,  is  a  small  and  quiet  seaside  retreat  that 
has  much  to  recommend  it,  but  so  long  as  it  remains 
three  miles  from  a  railway  station  (Martin  Mill)  its 
development  is  likely  to  be  slow.  A  portion  of  the 
residential  part  is  built  on  the  shingly  beach  and 
a  portion  on  the  chalk  cliff,  which  rises  to  a  great 

*"  Climates  and  Baths  of  Great  Britain."  Published  for 
the  Med.  Chirurgical  Society.  Macmillan  &  Co. 


49^      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

height  above  the  sea,  and  the  two  portions  are 
connected  by  a  very  steep  path.  The  lower  portion 
enjoys  considerable  protection  from  the  cliffs  behind 
it.  The  climate  is  "  dry  and  bracing,  and  is  particularly 
adapted  for  all  kinds  of  pulmonary  disease  and 
cases  of  nervous  exhaustion.  The  effect  of  the 
air  in  cases  of  phthisis,  attended  by  debility,  etc.,  is 
remarkable."* 

Dover  has  many  merits  as  a  health  resort.  Its 
climate  is,  for  the  most  part,  dry,  tonic,  and 
invigorating.  It  is  not,  however,  to  be  recommended 
at  all  seasons  of  the  year.  It  is  very  cold  in 
January,  very  windy  in  March,  and  very  hot  in 
July.  It  is  usually  pleasant  in  May  and  June,  and 
again  from  August  to  the  end  of  October.  The 
winter  is  often  mild  up  to  January.  Dover  is  a 
good  deal  exposed  to  sea  fogs.  The  cases  that  are 
said  to  do  well  at  Dover  are  those  of  early 
phthisis ;  of  bronchial  catarrh  in  young  people,  with 
sensitive  nervous  systems  and  languid  circulations  ; 
of  nervous  dyspepsia,  of  chronic  diarrhoea  from 
residence  in  tropical  climates;  of  insomnia;  of 
scrofulous  disease  in  children.  Most  of  the  houses 
at  Dover  are  built  with  a  southern  or  south-eastern 
aspect,  and  are  exposed  to  the  direct  influence  of  the 
sea  breezes  blowing  from  the  Straits.  It  is  protected 
by  the  chalk  hills  behind  it,  to  some  extent,  from 
winds  coming  from  the  north,  the  north-east,  and 
the  north-west.  Its  subsoil  is  chalk,  but  most  of 
the  houses  are  built  upon  the  beach,  i.e.  on  shingle, 
flint,  and  sand  overlying  the  chalk.  The  soil  is, 
therefore,  porous,  and  rain  rapidly  drains  off  the 
surface.  The  water  supply  is  good  and  pure. 

Folkestone,  with  its  excellent  service  of  trains, 
and  situated  so  conveniently  on  the  great  highway 
of  Continental  traffic,  possessing,  moreover,  attrac- 
tions in  itself  of  no  mean  order,  has  naturally  become 
one  of  the  most  popular  ol  health  resorts. 

*  "  Climates  and  Baths  of  Great  Britain."  Macmillan  £  Co. 


FOLKESTONE,    SANDGATE.  497 

The  town  is  built  on  a  lofty,  porous  cliff  of  green- 
sand,  and  seen  from  the  sea,  or  from  the  cliffs  to 
the  east  of  the  harbour,  it  has  a  most  picturesque 
appearance.  The  "  Lees,"  on  the  west  cliff,  form  a 
fine  extensive  promenade,  high  above  the  sea,  com- 
manding a  vast  sea-view  up  and  down  the  Channel ; 
on  the  high  ground  Folkestone  is  rather  exposed, 
especially  to  south-westerly  winds,  but  the  chalk  hills 
at  the  back  protect  it  somewhat  from  the  northerly 
land  winds.  The  houses  built  on  the  lower  part  on  a 
level  with  the  harbour  enjoy  much  protection  from 
the  high,  cliff  which  is  directly  behind  them.  A 
hydraulic  lift  connects  this  part  and  the  pier  with 
the  Lees.  The  open  chalk  downs  behind  the  town, 
and  the  many  attractive  country  roads,  afford 
abundant  resources  lor  horse  and  carriage  exercise. 
The  water  supply  is  good,  pure,  and  abundant, 
and  the  drainage  has  been  most  carefully  provided 
for.  The  annual  rainfall  is  said  to  scarcely  exceed 
twenty-five  inches,  which  is  very  small  for  a  town 
on  this  coast. 

The  climate  is  considered  suitable  to  many  forms 
of  chest  disease,  to  cases  of  early  phthisis,  to  cases 
of  chronic  catarrhal  tendencies  in  the  over  sensitive 
and  scrofulous,  to  some  forms  of  asthma.  It  is  also 
highly  useful  in  cases  of  depressed  nervous  tone, 
with  irritability,  sleeplessness,  loss  of  appetite,  and 
hypochondriacal  tendencies,  also  in  cases  of  pro- 
tracted convalescence  after  attacks  of  acute  disease. 

One  drawback,  irom  the  point  of  view  of  sea- 
bathing, is  the  rather  rough  shingly  beach  ;  but  baths 
of  all  kinds,  including  a  large  tepid  sea- water  swim- 
ming-bath, can  be  obtained  at  the  Bath  Establish- 
ment. On  the  east  cliff  is  built  the  St.  Andrew's 
Convalescent  Home  for  poor  patients. 

Sandgate  is  about  a  mile  west  of  Folkestone  ;  it 
stretches  for  some  distance  along  the  coast,  with  a 
fine  sandy  beach  in  front,  furnishing  great  facilities 
for  bathing,  and  a  range  of  hills  behind,  affording 
protection  from  the  north. 


498      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Shorncliffe  Camp  lies  on  a  plateau  above,  and  on 
the  north  side  of  Sandgate.  There  are  pleasant  walks 
and  drives  towards  Folkestone,  or  Hythe,  or  Shorn- 
cliffe, and  the  promenade  in  front  of  the  sea  forms  an 
agreeable  and  sunny  lounge.  Sandgate  has  the  same 
character  of  climate  as  the  lower  part  of  Folkestone, 
but  it  is  quieter  and  less  expensive,  and  the  sea- 
bathing is  decidely  better.  There  is  a  sea-wall  and 
parade  between  Sandgate  and  Hythe,  which  is  two 
or  three  miles  further  west,  and  has  the  same  climate 
and  character  as  a  health  resort  as  Sandgate. 

Hythe  is  now  much  resorted  to  for  its  excellent 
golf  links  and  its  well-managed  hotel  on  the  sea 
front  with  a  fine  garden. 

Littlestone-on-Sea,  between  Dungeness  and  Dym- 
church,  is  also  frequented  for  its  golf  links. 

Hastings  and  St.  Leonards,  sixty-two  miles  from 
London,  have  a  complete  southern  aspect,  and  they 
are  protected  to  the  north  and  north-east  by  high 
cliffs,  and  hills  at  the  back  ;  but  there  is  little  or  no 
protection  at  St.  Leonards  from  winds  blowing  due 
east ;  these  enfilade  the  promenade  along  the  shore 
with  considerable  force. 

These  adjoining  towns  appear  to  have  a  remark- 
ably equable  temperature,  both  in  winter  and  summer, 
and  on  that  account  they  are  considered  suitable  to 
cases  of  pulmonary  disease.  The  air  is  warmer  along 
the  shore  than  on  the  hills  behind  the  town,  where 
it  is  said  to  be  cool  during  the  warmest  summer 
months.  Pulmonary  invalids  are  recommended  to 
choose  the  former,  and  convalescent  patients, 
suffering  from  debility  and  want  of  tone,  the 
latter  situation. 

The  soil  is  porous  and  sandy,  and  the  rain  that 
falls  is  rapidly  absorbed,  so  that  the  air  is  free  from 
the  humidity  which  might  arise  from  evaporation  of 
water  retained  on  the  surface.  Hastings  enjoys 
great  immunity  from  land  fogs,  but  sea  fogs  are 
not  uncommon  in  the  spring.  Its  relative  proportion 
of  sunshine  is  large.  The  system  of  drainage,  and 


HASTINGS,    EASTBOURNE.  499 

of  disposal  of  sewage,  is  excellent.  The  mean  annual 
temperature  is  49*4,  for  the  winter  quarter  39*6,  the 
spring  45-9,  and  the  summer  59*9.  The  mean  daily 
range  is  10*4.  The  mean  relative  humidity  is  83*8. 
There  is  a  mean  annual  rainfall  of  30  inches  and 
183  rainy  days. 

Hastings  is  resorted  to  in  the  winter  on  account 
of  its  relatively  nlild  diniata  by  persons  who  are 
subject  to  chronic  bronchitis  and  to  catarrhal  throat 
affections,  and  by  cases  of  chronic  stationary  phthisis 
and  by  feeble  and  sensitive  invalids  generally,  in 
search  of  winter  sunshine. 

Hastings  has  a  very  fine  pier  with  a  large 
covered  pavilion,  St.  Leonards  also  has  a  pier. 
On  the  esplanade  are  very  convenient  glass-covered 
shelters.  There  are  numerous  places  of  beauty  and 
interest  to  be  visited  in  the  neighbourhood.  There  is 
an  extensive  public  park — St.  Andrew's  Park — in  a 
sheltered  valley  at  the  back  of  the  town. 

Bexhill-on-Sea  lies  between  St.  Leonards  and  East- 
bourne, about  six  miles  from  the  former  place. 
It  is  somewhat  less  sheltered  from  the  north 
and  north-east  than  Hastings,  but  it  has  a  full 
southern  exposure.  The  beach,  composed  of  shingle 
and  sand,  affords  good  sea  bathing.  Its  drainage  and 
water  supply  are  good.  Bexhill  has  made  much 
progress  in  the  last  few  years. 

Eastbourne  is  a  highly  popular  and  attractive 
health  resort.  The  roads  and  streets  have  been 
skilfully  planned  and  laid  out,  on  a  uniform 
system,  so  as  to  secure  abundance  of  space  and  free 
ventilation,  and  trees  are  planted  throughout 
the  streets  of  the  town.  Moreover,  the  streets 
and  other  residential  parts  of  the  town  are  not 
all  huddled  together,  close  to  the  shore,  as  in  some 
resorts,  but  spread  out  over  a  considerable  tract 
of  land,  stretching  towards  the  magnificent  downs 
behind  the  town,  for  some  distance  from  the  sea- 
shore. So  that  a  choice  of  residence  is  provided 
either  close  to  the  sea  or  some  distance  from  it. 


500      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Eastbourne  is  situated  on  the  coast  of  Sussex, 
between  St.  Leonards  and  Brighton,  at  a  distance  of 
sixty-five  miles  from  London ;  its  train  service  is 
good,  and  the  fast  trains  accomplish  the  journey 
in  little  more  than  an  hour  and  a-half. 

The  old  town  of  Eastbourne  is  a  mile  inland  ; 
the  new  town,  which  has  naturally  been  built 
towards  the  sea,  has  a  south-eastern  aspect. 
There  is  a  level  frontage  to  the  sea,  with  three 
parallel  promenades  at  different  elevations>  extending 
from  the  pier  westward  for  nearly  three  miles  till  it 
ends  in  the  steeply  rising  ground  reaching  to  the 
magnificent  promontory  of  Beachy  Head.  There  is 
an  extensive  sandy  beach,  affording  admirable  sea- 
bathing. Between  the  sea  front  and  the  downs 
are  very  fine  golf  links. 

The  sanitary  arrangements  are  as  complete  as 
they  can  well  be  made.  The  salubrity  of  the  town 
has  led  to  the  establishment  of  a  great  number  of 
high-class  schools  there  for  both  sexes.  The  death- 
rate  is  low. 

During  the  summer,  phthisical  patients  often  do 
extremely  well  at  Eastbourne,  especially  if  they  begin 
their  stay  by  living  away  from  the  sea.  The  dryness 
of  the  air  is  in  certain  fine  seasons  very  notable,  and  is 
said  to  be  due  to  the  fact  that  the  upper  parts  of 
Eastbourne  lie  on  chalk  and  the  lower  on  alluvial  soil 
of  a  very  porous  nature. 

Cases  of  torpid  scrofula,  of  slow  convalescence 
from  surgical  operations  or  injuries,  cases  of  anaemia 
and  general  want  of  tone,  cases  of  depressed  function, 
nervous  or  digestive,  are  all  suited  to  this  place.  In 
houses  built  to  the  west  of  the  town,  and  with  rising 
ground  between  them  and  the  east,  the  winter  tem- 
perature is  not  unpleasantly  low,  and  they  get  more 
than  the  average  amount  of  sunshine.  But  those 
parts  of  the  town  which  are  unprotected  from  the 
east  suffer  much  from  the  prevailing  winds  in  spring. 
January  and  Febuary  are  the  coldest  months,  with  a 
mean  average  temperature  of  397.  July  and  August 


SEA  FORD,  BRIGHTON.  501 

are  the  hottest  months,  with  a  mean  average  tem- 
perature of  60*2.  The  mean  annual  daily  range 
is  io'i.  Mean  annual  rainfall,  30*6  inches.  Mean 
annual  relative  humidity,  83-0. 

Seaford  is  nine  miles  west  of  Eastbourne,  the 
range  of  chalk  cliffs  and  downs,  of  which  Beachy 
Head  forms  the  culminating  point,  lying  between 
them.  It  is  thiee  miles  from  the  port  of  New- 
haven. 

The  air  is  pure  and  bracing,  and  there  are  fine 
downs  (with  golf  links)  stretching  up  to  Beachy  Head, 
which  is  six  miles  distant.  The  climate  has  much 
in  common  with  that  of  Eastbourne,  except  that  the 
great  mass  of  cliff  which  intervenes  between  the  two 
places  affords  a  great  protection  from  the  east ;  it  is, 
however,  fully  exposed  to  the  south-west,  and  has 
but  little  protection  from  the  north.  The  beach  is 
shingle. 

Brighton  is  too  familiar  a  resort  to  need  detailed 
description.  No  seaside  place  is  so  accessible  to 
those  who  live  in  London.  Its  strong  sea-air,  coming 
from  a  wide  open  sea-board,  is  most  invigorating  to 
many,  but  for  others  it  is  too  irritating ;  and 
it  is  important  to  recognise  a  form  of  dyspepsia 
with  torpidity  of  liver  which  becomes  developed  in 
certain  constitutions  at  Brighton — as  well  as  in  some 
other  seaside  places — and  does  not  disappear  so  long 
as  the  patient  remains  there.  Brighton  is  also  not  at 
its  best  when  the  north-east  spring  winds  prevail,  for 
then  the  wind  is  off  the  land,  and  the  smoke,  etc.,  from 
the  town  is  blown  down  over  the  esplanade,  and, 
instead  of  pure  sea-air,  we  breathe  not  very  pure  land- 
air.  South-south-west  and  westerly  wrinds  bring  the 
best  air  to  the  shores  of  Brighton. 

But  the  climate  of  Brighton  differs  considerably 
in  different  parts  of  the  town.  The  houses  in  the 
King's  Road,  for  example,  are  much  more  under  the 
influence  of  the  sea  than  those  high  up,  near  Mont- 
pellier  Square  ;  and  the  high  east  cliff  (Kemp  Town) 
is  more  bracing  and  has  altogether  finer  air  than  the 


502      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

low  western  side,  which  is,  however,  more  sheltered, 
and  far  more  frequented  and  popular. 

Under  the  east  cliff,  and  extending  along  •  its 
whole  length,  a  fine  summer  promenade  has  been 
made,  which  is  completely  sheltered  from  the  north 
and  north-west,  but  the  east  and  north-east  winds  are 
felt  there  keenly  ;  this  is  the  so-called  "  Madeira 
Walk." 

The  soil  of  Brighton  is  exclusively  chalk.  In  the 
spring  the  winds  are  variable,  in  summer  they  come 
most  frequently  from  the  west,  in  autumn  and  winter 
from  the  south-west.  It  has  a  good  and  abundant 
water  supply. 

The  sea-bathing  is  good,  the  water  is  clear,  and 
the  bottom  is  sandy.  There  are  numerous  private 
bathing  establishments,  where  hot  and  cold  sea-water 
baths  can  be  obtained  ;  as  well  as  Turkish  baths  and 
massage.  The  South  Downs,  which  stretch  along 
the  back  of  the  town,  are  a  great  and  valuable 
resource  for  healthful  exercise. 

Brighton  is  especially  serviceable  in  cases  of 
retarded  convalescence,  especially  after  surgical 
operations,  and  also  after  some  acute  febrile  maladies. 
It  is  useful  in  cases  of  anaemia,  and  general  loss  of 
tone  induced  by  over- work,  by  chronic  illnesses,  or 
by  other  depressing  agencies.  It  is  of  value  in  giving 
vigour  to  delicate  young  people,  especially  when  of 
scrofulous  constitution,  during  the  most  trying  periods 
of  rapid  growth  and  development.  Its  bracing  sea- 
air  and  sea-baths  are  also  beneficial,  in  diminishing  that 
sensitiveness  of  skin  and  mucous  membranes  upon 
which  the  prevalent  tendencies  to  catarrhal  and 
rheumatic  affections  depend.  The  autumn  up  to  the 
end  of  November  is  the  best  and  healthiest  season  at 
Brighton. 

The  mean  annual  temperature  is  49*4.  January 
is  the  coldest  month,  39-3.  August  the  hottest,  6i'2. 
The  mean  annual  daily  range  is  12*0.  The 
mean  annual  rainfall  is  30*4  inches,  and  the  number  of 
rainy  days  163.  The  relative  humidity,  78.  Brighton 


WORTHING,    LITTLEHAMPTON.  503 

has  rather  less  sunshine   than    Hastings  and  East- 
bourne. 

Worthing  is  about  twelve  miles  to  the  west  of 
Brighton,  and  fifty-two  miles  from  London.  It  is  a 
much  more  quiet  resort  than  its  popular  neighbour, 
and  enjoys  much  the  same  climatic  character.  It  has 
been  said,  however,  that  while  the  climate  of 
Brighton  is  keen  and  bracing,  that  of  Worthing  is  soft, 
mild  and  equable,  and  the  character  of  the  vegetation, 
and  the  testimony  of  the  inhabitants  seem  to  support 
this  statement;  but  the  meteorological  data  do  not. 

The  town  is  clean  and  well  laid  out,  and  the  drainage 
is  good.  It  is  a  very  suitable  station  for  sea-bathing, 
as  the  sands  are  firm  and  good.  There  is  an 
esplanade  facing  the  sea  about  a  mile  long,  composed 
chiefly  of  lodging-houses  ;  there  is  also  a  good  pier. 
West  Worthing  is  built  at  a  little  distance  from  the 
sea,  to  the  west  of  Worthing,  and  is  an  attractive 
residential  neighbourhood,  consisting  chiefly  of  villa 
residences  with  their  gardens.  Worthing  is  sur- 
rounded by  agreeable  country,  with  some  charming 
rural  scenery,  a  few  miles  from  the  shore,  amongst  the 
South  Down  hills. 

Littlehampton,  on  the  Sussex  coast,  is  sixty-two 
miles  by  rail  from  London,  ten  from  Worthing,  four 
from  Arundel,  and  eleven  from  Chichester.  It  is  re- 
sorted to  on  account  of  its  bracing  air,  its  comparative 
retirement,  its  excellent  sea  bathing,  firm  and  clean 
sands,  and  its  adjacency  to  the  fine  scenery  around 
Arundel.  When  the  tide  is  low  the  sands  are  left 
firm  and  dry,  affording  delight  to  young  children. 
The  town  is  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  Arun, 
and  as  this  river  flows  across  the  sea  front  it  stops  all 
possibility  of  going  westward  except  by  ferry — a  most 
uncomfortable  feature  of  the  place.  The  water  supply 
and  drainage  are  good. 

Littlehampton  is  a  suitable  resort  for  families  and 
children  requiring  sea  change  in  the  summer  months, 
but  it  is  otherwise  without  attractions,  and  is  at  times 
very  bleak  and  cold. 


504       CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Bognor,  on  the  Sussex  coast,  is  about  sixty-three 
miles  from  London,  twenty  miles  west  of  Brighton, 
and  twenty-five  east  of  Portsmouth.  It  is  a  quiet 
resort,  and  having  a  firm,  clean,  level,  sandy  beach,  is 
well  adapted  for  sea-bathing.  The  air  is  pure  arid 
mild.  The  elevated  downs  lying  behind  it  afford  a 
protection  from  the  north  winds.  There  is  a  fine 
pier.  Bognor  is  a  very  suitable  resort  for  delicate 
children  and  convalescents. 

Hayling  Island  has  only  recently  come  into  repute 
as  a  seaside  resort,  and  for  those  who  like  to  get 
away  from  the  beaten  track,  it  has  much  to  recommend 
it.  It  is  reached  by  a  short  branch  of  the  London, 
Brighton,  and  South  Coast  Railway  from  Havant,  the 
journey  from  London  taking  a  little  less  than  three 
hours,  or  it  can  be  approached  from  Southsea  by 
crossing  the  ferry  at  Fort  Cumberland,  from  which 
it  is  distant  about  half-a-mile.  Numerous  good  villas 
and  a  commodious  hotel  have  recently  been  built 
there.  Pure  air,  fresh  breezes  from  the  open  sea, 
excellent  sands  and  good  bathing,  exceedingly  well 
suited  to  children,  good  golf  links,  and  the  absence  of 
a  fashionable  crowd— these  are  the  attractions  of 
Hayling  Island. 

Southsea  has  many  attractions.  It  is  within  two 
hours  by  rail  of  London,  and  within  half-an-hour  of 
the  Isle  of  Wight.  It  looks  due  south,  has  a  fine 
common  facing  the  sea,  two  piers,  and,  from  its  ad- 
jacency to  a  great  military  and  naval  arsenal,  constant 
social  activity  and  interests,  and  frequent  military  and 
naval  displays.  The  beach  is  shingle,  and  is  not  so 
pleasant  as  sand  for  bathing  from  ;  the  extensive 
Common  lies  between  it  and  the  town. 

As  a  winter  residence  Southsea  has  been  highly 
commended.  A  six  years'  resident  testifies  :  "  We  have 
much  less  rain  than  inland,  and  the  ground,  except  in 
.  one  low-lying"  part,  rapidly  dries  when  a  fall  does 
occur,  the  soil  being  gravel  and  shingle.  In  the 
winter  house-rent  is  very  moderate."  The  death-rate 
is  low.  One  of  the  medical  authorities  of  the  place 


ISLE    OF    WIGHT.  505 

states  that  "  more  people  come  now  in  winter  who 
have  delicate  chests,  and  they  do  well  here  if  they 
live  on  the  Common.  Speaking  roughly,  our  average 
temperature  is,  in  winter,  5  or  6°  F.  higher,  and  in 
summer  5  or  6°  F.  lower,  than  at  Kew. '  Southsea 
enjoys  considerable  protection  from  the  north  from 
the  Portsdown  hills  behind  it.  There  is  a  good 
system  of  drainage  and  a  good  supply  of  water. 

Southsea  brings  us  to  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
Isle  of  Wight.  This  island  is  about  twenty-three 
miles  in  length  from  east  to  west,  and  about  thirteen 
miles  wide  at  its  widest  part,  from  north  to  south.  A 
range  of  high  chalk  downs  stretches  right  across  the 
island,  near  the  middle,  from  Bembridge  Down,  not 
far  from  the  extreme  eastern  part  of  the  island,  to  the 
extreme  western  part.  There  are  other  chalk  downs 
at  the  southern  end  of  the  island. 

Its  chief  places  are  Newport,  Ryde,  West  and 
East  Cowes,  St.  Helens,  Sandown,  Shanklin,  Ventnor, 
Yarmouth,  Alum  Bay,  and  Freshwater.  Newport, 
the  capital,  is  situated  in  the  centre  of  the  island,  and 
does  not,  therefore,  concern  us  in  this  place. 

Cowes,  chiefly  associated  with  yachting  meetings, 
is  divided  by  the  river  Medina  into  East  and  West 
Cowes.  Of  these,  West  Cowes  is  the  more  resorted 
to  by  visitors,  and  is  the  more  fashionable  ;  its  houses 
are  less  crowded  together.  During  the  yachting 
season,  and  especially  in  the  regatta  week,  Cowes  is 
crowded  with  visitors,  but  it  really  possesses  little 
interest  as  a  health  resort.  Its  aspect  is  due  north. 

Ryde  is  a  pleasure  resort  rather  than  a  health 
resort,  and  is  the  most  fashionable  place  in  the  island. 
Its  long  pier  is  a  well-known  and  popular  lounge,  and 
military  bands  play  there  during  the  season.  It  is  a 
great  centre  for  yachting  and  boating,  and  for  excur- 
sions into  the  interior  and  around  the  island. 

The  town  occupies  the  face  of  a  hill  which  slopes 
mainly  in  a  north-easterly  direction,  but  partly  also 
in  a  north-westerly  direction.  It  lies  on  the  steep 
north-easterly  slope,  and  is  much  exposed  to  the 


506      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORT  Si 

north-east  winds.  The  most  elevated  part  of  the 
town  is  155  feet  above  the  sea.  The  highest  part  of 
the  whole  district,  at  its  boundary,  is  193  feet.  The 
subsoil  at  the  lower  and  northerly  parts  is  clay,  with 
here  and  there  gravel  and  sand,  and  a  little  stone. 
At  the  higher  parts  the  subsoil  is  brick-earth,  with 
gravel  and  some  sand.  Owing  to  its  north-easterly 
exposure,  and  its  open  and  comparatively  unpro- 
tected situation,  Ryde  is  only  adapted  for  a  summer 
resort,  and  for  this  purpose  it  is  cool,  cheerful,  and 
attractive. 

St.  Helens  is  the  name  of  a  district  stretching  for 
about  three  miles  to  the  east  of  Ryde.  The  slope 
and  summit  of  the  hill  at  its  western  extremity  are 
largely  built  over,  and  there  are  two  villages  along 
the  shore — Spring  Vale,  about  a  mile,  and  Sea  View 
about  three  miles,  east  of  Ryde.  Sea  View  is  a  very 
quiet  little  bathing-place  much  resorted  to  by  families 
with  children.  It  has  a  steamboat  pier. 

Sandown  is  about  fifteen  minutes  by  rail  from 
Ryde.  It  is  built  on  the  shore  of  a  fine  open  bay,  which 
affords  great  facilities  for  bathing  and  boating.  The 
town  is  delightfully  placed  on  the  slopes  of  a  low 
hill,  and  these  stretch  with  a  gradual  iall  towards  the 
sea  at  the  south-east.  To  the  north-east  a  sea-wall 
protects  the  low  marsh  land  from  incursions  of  the 
sea.  The  streets,  which  are  many  feet  above  the 
sea-level,  are  wide  and  well  laid  out,  and  the  houses 
have  gardens  attached  to  them.  The  subsoil  of  a 
great  part  of  the  town  is  clay,  but  the  westerly  and 
upper  third  is  built  on  sand.  The  town  is  well 
drained.  Public  walks  and  pleasure  grounds  have 
been  laid  out  at  great  expense. 

The  surrounding  country  is  attractive,  and  ex- 
cursions to  various  parts  of  the  island  can  readily  be 
made  from  it. 

Sandown  is  a  pleasant,  quiet,  picturesque,  sea- 
bathing resort,  much  frequented  in  the  summer  by 
families  with  young  children,  but  is  too  exposed  and 
windv  for  invalids  in  winter. 


SHANK  LIN,    VENT  NOR.  507 

Shanklin  is  about  three  miles  by  road  and  five 
minutes  by  rail  from  Sandown,  and  is  situated  in  a 
valley  stretching  inland  from  the  shore  of  the  bay  of 
Sandown.  Like  Sandown,  it  has  a  firm  sandy  beach. 
The  air  is  fresh  and  pure,  and  bracing  on  the  higher 
ground.  Shanklin  Chine  is  a  beautiful  rocky  glen 
covered  with  luxuriant  verdure.  The  walk  from 
Shanklin  to  Bonchurch  is  considered  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  in  the  island,  passing,  as  it  does,  through 
the  romantic  Chine  of  Luccombe.  There  is  also  a 
fine  walk  across  the  high  downs  to  Ventnor. 

The  houses  at  Shanklin  are  built  on  the  sloping 
sides  of  a  hill  which,  at  its  highest  part,  is  200  feet 
above  the  sea.  It  has  for  the  most  part  a  sandy 
subsoil. 

Shanklin  is  a  resort  of  great  beauty  and  attractive- 
ness ;  its  sea-bathing  is  excellent,  and  the  excursions 
which  can  be  made  from  it,  both  by  sea  and  land, 
are  most  varied  and  delightful.  It  has  a  chalybeate 
spring  and  a  thermal  bath  establishment. 

Ventnor  is  situated  at  the  most  charming  part  of 
the  southern  side  of  the  island,  and  is  built  in  a 
series  of  terraces  on  the  wooded  rocky  slopes  of  the 
1  eautiful  and  celebrated  Undercliff.  It  is  sheltered 
from  the  north  and  north-east  winds  by  a  steep  range 
of  limestone  rocks,  and  the  downs  to  the  north  rise  to 
a  height  of  400  to  800  feet  above  the  sea.  It  is  greatly 
sheltered  also  from  the  north-west,  west,  and  south- 
west winds,  but  is  open  to  the  south  and  south-east. 
Owing  to  its  protected  situation,  it  has  become  a 
popular  resort  for  pulmonary  invalids ;  on  this 
account  it  has  been  selected  as  the  site  of  the 
National  Hospital  for  Consumption.  There  is  a 
large  open  piece  of  ground  between  the  Hospital  and 
the  sea,  where  patients  can  sit  or  take  exercise  in  the 
open  air.  Very  good  results  are,  as  might  be  expected, 
obtained  there. 

Besides  the  winter  season,  which  begins  in  No- 
vember, Ventnor  has  also  a  summer  season  from  June 
to  September.  It  has  good  sea-bathing  in  deep,  clear 


508      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

water,  with  sandy  bottom.     There  is  an  esplanade  by 
the  sea  and  a  fine  pier. 

Ventnor  has  different  climatic  characters  in  its 
different  parts,  some  houses  being  close  to  the  water 
and  others  stretching  up  the  face  of  the  cliff  in  terraces 
reaching  to  500  feet  above  the  sea,  while  some  are 
more  exposed  to  the  sun's  rays,  and  for  a  longer  time, 
than  others  ;  and  some,  again,  are  nearer  the  shelter 
of  the  rocks,  while  others  are  in  more  open  and  airy 
situations. 

The  climate  of  Ventnor  partakes  of  that  of  the 
whole  Undercliff,  the  name  given  to  the  curious  land- 
slip which  forms  a  kind  of  terrace  six  miles  in  length 
on  the  south-eastern  coast  of  the  island,  stretching 
from  near  Bonchurch  to  Black  Gang  Chine.  This 
district  enjoys  protection  from  the  north,  north-east, 
north-west,  and  west.  The  character  and  luxuriance 
of  its  vegetation  bear  striking  testimony  to  its  mild 
winter  climate.  The  rain  that  falls  is  rapidly  absorbed 
by  the  chalk  and  sandstone  rocks,  so  that  the  iground, 
which  is  almost  wholly  rocky,  is  generally  dry.  There 
is  plenty  of  space  for  out-of-door  exercise,  and  the 
warmth  of  the  sun  is  reinforced  by  reflection  from 
the  cliffs,  and  in  some  parts  by  reflection  from  the  sea. 
The  mean  temperature  at  Ventnor  during  the  coldest 
winter  months  (January  and  February)  is  41*8,  the 
mean  relative  humidity  87,  the  mean  sunshine  129 
hours  for  the  two  months  ;  4-6  inches  of  rain  and  29 
rainy  days  in  these  two  months.  Average  rainfall 
for  the  whole  year,  27-53  inches,  with  164  rainy  days. 

The  climate,  then,  is  mild  and  equable,  but  at  the 
same  time  fairly  dry  and  tonic,  and  is  adapted  to 
cases  of  early  phthisis  and  to  those  who  have  reason 
to  fear  they  may  become  phthisical,  to  chronic 
catarrhal  throat  affections,  to  scrofulous  and  anaemic 
and  debilitated  persons,  and  to  conva'escents  from 
acute  diseases. 

Ventnor,  being  built  on  a  series  of  terraces  stretch- 
ing up  the  steep  cliff,  has  the  drawback  that  there  are 
no  level  walks  except  on  the  beach.  Bonchurch,  its 


BOURNEMOUTH.  509 

eastern  suburb,  is  better  off  in  this  respect,  and  is 
preferred  by  many  as  a  residence  on  this  account  and 
for  its  better  protection  from  the  east. 

Yarmouth,  on  the  north-west  coast  of  the  island, 
and  Freshwater  and  Alum  and  To  bland  Bays  on  the 
western,  come  under  the  influence  of  the  Atlantic, 
and  in  the  three  latter,  especially,  fine  breezy  sea  air, 
and  the  adjacency  of  high  downs,  can  be  enjoyed,  in 
comparative  quiet  and  seclusion,  during  the  hot  months 
of  summer. 

Milford-on-Sea,  on  the  south  coast  of  Hampshire, 
is  situated  between  Lymington  and  Bournemouth, 
fourteen  miles  to  the  east  of  the  latter  place.  Its 
nearest  station  is  New  Milton,  on  the  direct  B ourne- 
mouth  line.  It  lies  just  opposite  the  Needles,  and  is 
close  to  the  borders  of  the  New  Forest.  It  has  golf 
links  finely  situated,  and  is  well  placed  for  pure  sea 
air  and  for  walks  and  drives  amidst  beautiful  scenery. 
It  is  rather  exposed  to  prevailing  winds,  and  is  a 
summer  rather  than  a  winter  resort. 

Bournemouth  is  well  known  as  a  winter  resort  for 
persons  with  delicate  chests  and  others,  and  it  is 
also  a  suitable  place  for  summer  visitors.  Indeed, 
there  is  no  reason  why  a  place  of  winter  resort  at 
the  seaside  should  necessarily  be  unfit  for  summer 
resort,  as  is  popularly  supposed,  for  the  possession 
of  an  equable  climate,  which  renders  such  a  place 
warmer  than  inland  districts  in  winter,  often  also 
renders  it  cooler  than  those  places  in  summer. 

As  a  winter  resort  Bournemouth  has  many  ad- 
vantages. The  houses  chiefly  occupied  by  visitors 
are  situated  on  the  higher  ground  to  the  east  and 
west  of  the  sheltered  depression  occupied  by  the 
older  part  of  the  town.  Many  of  the  villas  are  built 
in  the  midst  of  the  pine  trees,  which  here  cover  a 
considerable  tract  of  the  sandy  soil.  These  pine 
forests  not  only  afford  a  certain  protection  from 
winds,  but  they  also  exert  a  salutary  influence  on  the 
atmosphere,  and  embalm  the  air  with  their  aromatic 
exhalations.  The  soil,  composed  of  sand  and  sand- 


5 io      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS 

stone,  is  dry  and  absorbent,  so  that  the  rain  falling  on 
the  surface  rapidly  drains  away,  and  the  atmosphere 
is  left  dryer  than  it  would  be  were  the  water  retained 
longer  on  the  surface  of  the  ground  by  a  less  readily 
permeable  soil. 

There  is  fair  shelter  from  the  north  and  north- 
east, and,  to  a  less  extent,  from  the  east  winds  ;  but 
the  surrounding  hills  are  low,  and  the  protection  they 
afford  must  be  at  times  very  imperfect.  Bournemouth 
is,  however,  much  exposed  to  the  west,  south-west, 
and  south  winds.  There  is  more  shelter  from  cold 
winds  on  the  eastern  than  on  the  western  cliff. 
Compared  with  Torquay  it  is  somewhat  less  sheltered, 
but  is  dryer  and  more  bracing.  It  has  a  moderate 
rainfall,  and  a  medium  degree  of  atmospheric  humidity. 

Taking  the  two  coldest  winter  months  (January 
and  February),  the  mean  temperature  is  397,  and  the 
mean  relative  humidity  87.  The  mean  annual 
rainfall  is  27*26  inches,  and  the  number  of  rainy 
days  158*3.  The  drainage  and  water  supply  are 
good. 

The  adjacency  of  many  interesting  and  picturesque 
places  of  resort  ought  to  add  to  its  popularity  as  a 
summer  resort. 

"The  smooth  hard  sands,  and  the  almost  uniform 
height  of  the  tide,  permit  the  bathing  to  be  peculiarly 
safe  and  agreeable." 

Boscombe  is  merely  an  extension  eastward  of 
Bournemouth. 

Southbourne-on-Sea  is  three  and  a-half  miles  east 
of  Bournemouth.  It  is  built  on  a  plateau  surmounting 
a  sandy  cliff,  and  is  less  sheltered  than  Bournemouth, 
but  more  bracing.  It  is  a  good  summer  and  autumn 
resort,  quiet  and  invigorating. 

Swanage  is  the  chief  place  in  the  "  Isle  of 
Purbeck,"  and  is  reached  in  about  four  hours  by  fast 
train  from  London.  It  can  also  be  approached  by 
steamers  from  Poole,  Bournemouth,  or  Wey mouth. 
Its  situation  is  charming.  It  lies  quite  open  to  the 
east  or  south-east,  and  is  pleasantly  cool  in  summer. 


SWAN  AGE,    WEY  MOUTH.  511 

It  commands  extensive  and  varied  views  of  the  coast 
of  Hampshire  and  the  Isle  of  Wight,  which  is  only 
fifteen  miles  off.  It  has  smooth  and  fine  sands,  with 
excellent  bathing.  There  is  a  pier  from  which  the 
steamboats  land  and  take  up  passengers. 

To  the  north  the  cliffs  are  precipitous,  and  rise 
to  a  height  of  nearly  600  feet  above  the  sea.  The 
surrounding  country  is  very  interesting,  and  a  variety 
of  agreeable  excursions  can  be  made  into  it ;  especially 
to  Corfe  Castle,  St.  Aldhelm's  Head,  Lulworth  Castle, 
etc. 

Swanage  is  particularly  appropriate  as  a  seaside 
resort  to  persons  requiring  qiret  and  soothing  sur- 
roundings in  a  cool  and  somewhat  sedative  atmo- 
sphere, and  opportunities  for  exercise  in  the  open  air 
amidst  pleasing  rural  scenery. 

Weymouth,  distant  three  and  a-quarter  hours  by 
rail  from  London,  is  a  popular  resort  on  the  Dorset- 
shire coast,  which  here  runs  out  towards  the  south, 
and  bending  a  little  eastward  forms  a  wide,  open  bay, 
which  looks  to  the  east.  A  projection  of  the  shore 
divides  this  bay  into  two  parts,  Weymouth  Bay  and 
Portland  Roads.  The  new  part  of  the  town  is  built 
along  the  curving  shore  of  the  bay,  and  commands  a 
fine  view  of  the  coast  to  the  east  as  far  as  St. 
Aldhelm's  Head.  There  is  an  esplanade  and  a 
pier  of  stone  and  wood,  and  these  afford  good  pro- 
menades by  the  sea. 

The  reputation  of  Weymouth  as  an  invigorating 
seaside  resort  dates  from  the  end  of  the  eighteenth 
century.  Its  chief  attractions  are  its  wide  open  bay  and 
its  smooth,  level  sandy  shore,  affording  great  facilities 
for  sea-bathing. 

Lyme  Regis,  on  the  Dorsetshire  coast,  is  five 
miles  and  a-half  from  Axminster  station,  which  is 
about  four  hours  from  Waterloo  by  fast  train.  It  is 
most  picturesquely  situated,  being  built  on  the  slopes 
of  a  hollow  on  a  wild,  rocky  coast.  Miss  Austen  said 
of  it :  "  He  .must  be  a  very  strange  stranger  who  does 
not  see  charms  enough  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of 


512      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Lyme  to  make  him  wish  to  know  it  better."  It  is 
sheltered  from  the  north  and  east  winds,  so  that  its 
winter  climate  is  mild,  while  the  sea-breezes  make  it 
cool  and  fresh  in  summer.  There  is  good  bathing  on 
pleasant  sands.  The  place  is  quiet,  and  the  surround- 
ing scenery  is  charming. 

Sidmouth  is  the  first  seaside  resort  of  any  con- 
sequence we  come  to  on  the  south  coast  of  Devon.  Its 
reputation  as  a  winter  resort  has  been  growing  rapidly 
of  late  years.  It  is  between  four  and  five  hours  from 
London  by  rail  (S.W.R.).  It  is  situated  at  the  mouth 
of  a  valley  running  at  nearly  right  angles  to  the  coast, 
and  enclosed  especially  on  the  north  and  east  by  lofty 
hills  terminating  seawards  in  the  sheer  precipices  of 
Salcombe  and  High  Peak,  about  500  feet  above  the 
sea.  The  coast  view  from  the  beach  is  admirable, 
owing  to  its  situation  in  the  centre  of  the  Great  Bay, 
which  is  bounded  to  the  east  by  the  Isle  of  Portland, 
and  to  the  west  by  Start  Point.  "  The  characteristic 
features  of  the  sea  view  are  the  blood-red  cliffs,  which 
rise  to  a  height  of  about  five  hundred  feet  above  the 
beach."  The  air  is  mild  and  at  times  moist  and 
relaxing.  The  amount  of  winter  sunshine  is  said  to  be 
greater  than  at  south  coast  resorts  generally. 
Numerous  interesting  excursions  can  be  made 
amongst  the  neighbouring  hills  and  valleys. 

It  is  a  very  suitable  resort  for  cases  of  chronic 
bronchitis,  catarrhal  asthma,  cardiac  debility,  and  con- 
valescents from  acute  disease.  The  Nauheim  system 
of  baths  for  cardiac  weakness  is  applied  there.  Good 
accommodation  can  be  obtained  a  little  distance  from 
the  sea  as  well  as  on  the  beach. 

Exmouth,  between  ten  and  eleven  miles  (railway) 
from  Exeter,  is  a  popular  watering-place  on  the  Devon 
coast.  Budleigh  Salterton,  five  miles  from  Exmouth, 
is  much  more  sheltered,  and  has  a  warmer  climate,  as 
it  is  placed  in  a  narrow  valley,  and  is  well  protected 
from  cold  winds. 

Dawlish  is  about  midway  between  Exmouth  and 
Teignmoulh.  It  is  a  pleasant  and  popular  resort, 


DAWLISH,    TEIGNMOUTH.  513 

with  many  attractions  to  recommend  it.  It  is  in  a 
sheltered  valley  on  a  sunny  coast,  with  neat,  well-built 
houses,  some  facing  the  sea,  others  built  round  publfc 
gardens ;  and  it  has  very  picturesque  rural  scenery 
surrounding  it.  It  has  a  bright  and  cheerful  aspect, 
which  is  not  a  little  enlivened  by  the  railway  running 
across  the  mouth  of  the  valley  close  to  the  sea. 

There  is  a  fine  esplanade  by  the  side  of  the  line 
of  railway.  There  is  safe  and  pleasant  bathing  on 
beautiful  and  extensive  sands.  The  climate  is,  perhaps, 
as  mild  as  that  of  Torquay  and  as  equable,  and  living  is 
quieter  and.  less  expensive.  The  cliffs  of  the  bay  are 
of  bright  red  sandstone,  and  some  of  them  assume 
fantastic  forms. 

Dawlish  can  certainly  be  commended  as  a  charm- 
ingly quiet,  and  yet  bright  and  cheerful,  resort,  with  a 
mild  climate,  cooler  in  the  hottest  part  of  summer 
than  most  of  the  seaside  resorts  near  London,  and 
with  a  sedative,  and  at  times  somewhat  humid,  relaxing 
atmosphere.  It  is  well  suited  to  delicate  invalids 
and  children  who  do  not  tolerate  a  too  bracing 
seaside  climate.  The  drainage  and  water  supply 
are  good. 

Teignmouth  is  a  pleasant  town  on  the  south  coast 
of  Devon,  only  three  miles  from  Dawlish,  and  fifteen 
from  Exeter.  It  is  situated  on  the  estuary  of  the 
river  Teign,  Shaldon  being  on  the  opposite  side.  Like 
Dawlish  and  Exmouth,  it  faces  a  minor  depression  in 
the  west  of  that  large  bay,  which  is  bounded  on  the 
east  by  the  Bill  of  Portland,  and  on  the  west  by  the 
Start  Point ;  adjacent  to  this  depression  in  the  coast, 
and  west  of  it,  is  the  much  deeper  indentation  known 
as  Torbay. 

Teignmouth  looks  south  and  south-east,  and  is 
protected  to  the  north  by  somewhat  distant  hills. 

The  surrounding  scenery,  like  that  adjacent  to 
most  of  this  coast,  is  exceedingly  picturesque  and 
varied  ;  the  rich  red  soil  is  most  productive. 

The  climate  of  this  district  is  characterised  by 
milder  winters  and  cooler  summers,  and  by  greater 


5 14      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS-. 

equability  of  temperature,  than    is  found  inland  or 
further  east. 

The  following  are  some  meteorological  facts, 
founded  on  an  average  of  ten  years'  observations, 
applying  to  the  coldest  and  hottest  months  in  the 
year,  and  which  afford  a  very  fair  criterion  of  the 
climatic  elements  which  are  found  on  this  part  of 
the  south  coast. 

January — Mean  temperature       41-8°  F.  per  cent. 

Humidity,  9  a.m 88'o 

Mean  total  rain  in  inches  ...         3*40 

„      number  of  wet  days         ...  16-0 

July — Mean  temperature   ...  ...  6i'8°  F.  per  cent. 

Humidity          76*0 

Mean  total  of  rain  in  inches       ...         2-33 

,,      number  of  \vet  days          ...  13*0 

March  is  the  dryest  month,  with  a  mean  of  twelve 
wet  days  and  a  rainfall  of  1-98  inches  ;  the  next 
dryest  is  May,  also  with  twelve  wet  days,  and  a  rainfall 
of  2-3  inches.  The  wettest  month  is  October,  with 
eighteen  wet  days,  and  a  rainfall  of  477  inches. 

There  are  180  wet  days,  distributed  pretty  equally 
over  the  whole  year,  and  37  inches  of  rainfall 
annually. 

The  defects  of  this  climate  are  very  evident  from 
these  data,  viz.,  a  high  degree  of  atmospheric  humidity 
— a  large  proportion  of  wet  days — often  a  cloudy  sky, 
which,  together  with  its  equability  of  temperature, 
form  a  rather  relaxing  climate,  modified  somewhat 
by  the  tonic  effect  of  the  sea-air. 

Torquay  is  one  of  the'most  popular  and  fashionable 
winter  resorts  in  England.  It  enjoys  a  magnificent 
situation,  facing  one  of  the  finest  bays  on  any  part  of 
our  coast.  It  is  encircled  by  hills,  which  shelter  it 
from  the  north  and  north-wrest,  and,  to  some  extent, 
from  the  north-east.  North-east  winds  are,  however, 
sometimes  felt  there  severely. 

Villas  stretch  up  these  hills  at  various  elevations 
above  the  sea  up  to  450  feet. 


TORQUAY.  515 

The  air  of  Torquay  is  said  to  be  dryer  than  at  any 
other  place  on  this  coast ;  but  different  parts  of  the 
town  differ  greatly,  the  nearer  the  sea  the  more 
sedative  and  relaxing  the  air,  the  higher  up  the  hills 
the  more  bracing  it  becomes. 

The  luxuriant  growth  of  sub-tropical  plants  testifies 
to  the  general  mildness  of  the  climate.  Its  climate  is 
no  doubt  very  equable,  more  so  even  than  that  of 
Teignmouth,  but,  like  neighbouring  resorts  on  this 
coast,  there  is  frequently  a  great  deal  of  humidity 
in  the  air.  The  rainfall  is  considerable,  and  the  num- 
ber of  rainy  days  very  great.  If,  for  instance,  we 
compare  the  rainfall  and  the  number  of  rainy  days  at 
Torquay  and  at  Bournemouth,  we  find  that  at  Torquay 
the  rainfall  is  35  inches,  at  Bournemouth  it  is  27-6  ; 
while  the  rainy  days  at  Torquay  are  187,  and  at 
Bournemouth  153.  The  mean  temperature  in  the 
two  coldest  months  (January  and  Febuary)  is  41*4 
and  the  mean  relative  humidity  8 6' 6. 

It  is  claimed  for  Torquay  that  it  is  much  cooler  in 
summer  than  the  seaside  resorts  further  east.  Bathing, 
boating,  yachting,  and  sea  fishing  can  be  pursued  with 
great  advantage  at  Torquay,  and  beautiful  excursions 
into  the  surrounding  picturesque  country,  extending 
even  to  the  wild  hills  of  Dartmoor,  can  easily  be 
made. 

The  water  supply  is  very  good,  and  so  is  the 
drainage. 

The  town  appears  to  be  exceedingly  healthy,  and 
the  death-rate  is  low.  The  cases  wThich  appear  to  do 
well  at  Torquay  are  those  of  chronic  bronchitis  in  old 
people,  some  forms  of  chronic  phthisis,  with  tendencies 
to  catarrhal  attacks,  some  irritable  throat  affections ; 
also  young  and  delicate  children  during  the  trying 
periods  of  rapid  growth  and  development,  and  some 
elderly  people,  who  find  themselves  more  comfortable 
in  a  moderately  mild  and  soft  climate  rather  than  in  a 
dry  and  bracing  one. 

Torquay  can  now  be  reached  in  four  and  a-half 
to  five  hours  from  London,  by  express  trains. 


Si6      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Salcombe,  about  eighteen  miles  west  of  Dartmouth, 
and  nine  miles  west  of  Start  Point,  lies  on  a  protected 
inlet  in  the  southernmost  part  of  the  coast  of  Devon. 
It  is  not  well  known,  although  by  its  position  it  is  so 
sheltered  as  to  be  one  of  the  warmest  coast  towns  in 
Britain. 

Falmouth,  on  the  south  coast  of  Cornwall,  is 
beautifully  situated  on  the  shore  of  one  of  the  finest 
harbours  in  England.  The  town  itself  is  not  very 
attractive,  but  from  the  ramparts  there  are  grand 
views  of  the  adjacent  coast,  and  a  great  variety  01 
interesting  excursions  about  this  picturesque  coast  can 
be  easily  made.  Although  so  far  from  London — 
eight  hours  by  express  train — its  reputation  as  a  sea- 
side resort  is  rapidly  growing,  especially  as  a  residence 
for  bronchial  invalids  during  winter  and  spring,  on 
account  of  its  mild  climate. 

Many  houses  and  handsome  detached  villas  have 
been  built  on  the  heights  above  the  old  main  street 
of  the  town. 

The  village  of  Flushing  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
harbour  looks  west,  and  is  more  sheltered.  The  mean 
temperature  in  the  two  coldest  winter  months  (January 
and  February)  is  4  2  •  9,  more  than  3°  warmer  than  Bourne- 
mouth, and  the  relative  humidity  is  84-5.  But  it  has 
a  large  annual  rainfall,  44  inches,  and  2 1 2  rainy  days. 
The  mean  daily  range  of  temperature  is  8-5. 

Penzance  is  the  westernmost  of  seaside  resorts  on 
our  coasts.  It  is  321  miles  from  London,  but  there 
is  one  fast  train  in  the  day  which  is  timed  to  accom- 
plish the  journey  between  Paddington  and  Penzance 
in  a  little  over  eight  hours. 

The  town  is  built  on  the  west  side  of  Mounts  Bay, 
so  that  it  has  a  south-east  aspect.  It  commands  a 
fine  view  across  the  bay,  and  the  long,  low  line  of 
coast  to  the  Lizard.  It  is  sheltered  by  a  lofty 
plateau  on  the  west  and  north,  but  is  fully  exposed 
to  winds  from  other  quarters.  Notwithstanding  this 
exposure  to  the  winds,  its  temperature  is  remarkably 
equable,  like  that  of  the  Stilly  Islands,  forty-two 


PENZANCE,    WESTWARD    HO.  517 

miles  further  west.  These  possess  "  the  most  equable 
temperature  in  the  British  Islands,  if  not  in  all 
Europe."  St.  Mary's,  Stilly,  is  warmer  than 
Penzance,  the  mean  winter  temperature  for  four 
years  was  47*9° ;  the  mean  maximum,  50*5° ;  the 
mean  minimum,  44*5° ;  the  mean  daily  range,  6° ; 
the  mean  monthly  range,  187°;  the  mean  relative 
humidity,  89°;  number  of  rainy  days,  107;  rain  in 
inches,  17*13  ;  winds  from  north  and  east,  56  days  ; 
from  south  and  west,  90  days.  The  mean  tempera- 
ture in  the  two  coldest  months  of  winter  (January 
and  February)  is  45*3°,  while  at  Penzance  it  is 

43°. 

Penzance  is  5°  warmer  than  London  in  winter  ; 

i°  warmer  in  spring ;  2°  warmer  in  autumn  ;  and  2° 
cooler  in  summer.  It  has  rather  a  large  annual  rain- 
fall, 43  inches,  and  a  large  number  of  wet  days. 

There  are  many  interesting  excursions  to  be  made 
from  it  both  by  land  and  sea. 

For  persons  whom  a  mild,  equable,  somewhat 
humid  climate  agrees  with,  Penzance,  like  Falmouth, 
is  well  suited.  The  place  is  sedative,  and  the  preva- 
lence of  winds  from  the  sea  must  confer  upon  it  a 
certain  tonic  element. 

Turning  round  the  Land's  End  to  the  north  coast  of 
Cornwall,  we  come  to  St.  Ives,  Newquay,  and  Bude. 
These,  with  Tintagel  and  Boscastle,  all  have  a  more  or 
less  northern  exposure,  and,  although  well  adapted  for 
summer  and  autumn  visitors,  are  unsuited  as  winter 
resorts  for  invalids.  We  now  reach  the  north  coast 
of  Devon  ;  the  first  of  the  picturesque  resorts  on  this 
coast  which  we  come  to  is  Clovelly.  This  charmingly 
romantic  fishing  village  can  scarcely  be  called  a  health 
resort,  and  must  not  detain  us  now. 

We  soon,  however,  reach  Westward  Ho.  This  is 
a  comparatively  new  resort  twelve  miles  east  of 
Clovelly.  The  coast  immediately  around  it  is  flat 
and  not  very  interesting,  but  very  beautiful  scenery  is 
not  far  distant.  It  is  a  quiet  retreat,  with  fine  bracing 
air,  and  a  long  reach  of  tolerably  firm  sands.  Its  golf 


Si8      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

links  are  said  to  be  "  only  surpassed  by  those  of 
St.  Andrews  and  Musselburgh." 

Ilfracombe,  on  the  north  coast  of  Devon,  offers 
great  attractions  to  the  lovers  of  the  picturesque, 
situated  as  it  is  in  a  part  of  England  unrivalled, 
perhaps,  for  the  beauty  of  its  scenery.  It  has  a  very 
fine  swimming-bath,  filled  at  every  tide. 

It  is  chiefly  a  summer  resort,  but  its  winter  climate 
has  also  been  recommended  for  invalids  who  can  bear 
a  certain  amount  of  bracing  wind,  as  its  winter  tem- 
perature compares  favourably  with  other  well-known 
winter  resorts ;  in  the  coldest  month  (January)  its 
mean  maximum  temperature  was  47*2°  (Ventnor 
45*7°)  and  its  mean  minimum  39-4  (Ventnor  37*4),  so 
that  it  is  warmer  than  Ventnor  and  nearly  as  warm 
as  Falmouth,  for  which  resort  the  corresponding  tem- 
peratures are  47-3°  and  39*8°.  It  is  reputed,  however, 
to  suffer  much  from  boisterous  winds  from  the  east 
and  west. 

The  promenades  and  excursions  are  numerous 
and  attractive. 

Ilfracombe  is  six  hours  by  express  train  from 
London. 

Lynton  and  Lynmouth,  only  seventeen  miles  by 
coach-road  from  Ilfracombe,  are  amidst  the  most 
exquisite  scenery  of  the  North  Devon  coast.  Lynton 
is  built  on  hilly  ground,  at  an  elevation  of  430  feet 
above  the  sea,  while  Lynmouth  lies  on  the  sea-shore, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Lyn. 

Lynton  has  the  disadvantage  of  being  separated 
from  the  sea  by  one  of  the  steepest  of  hills,  which  is 
traversed  by  zig-zag  paths ;  but  the  grand  prospects 
that  it  offers,  of  which  perhaps  the  loveliest  is  that 
of  the  gorges  through  which  the  East  and  the  West 
Lyn  flow,  more  than  compensate  for  this  drawback, 
and  the  provision  of  a  water-balance  railway  up  the 
cliff  is  a  great  convenience  to  those  who  object  to 
the  hill.  There  is  no  flat  sandy  beach,  and  the 
place  for  bathing  is  rocky  and  limited  in  extent. 
Owing  to  its  hilly  character,  this  country  is  not 


WESTON-SUPER-MARE,    TENBY.  519 

altogether  suitable  for  invalids  or  weakly  persons. 
The  one  way  to  see  the  locality  is  on  foot ;  those 
who  cannot  walk  will  miss  some  of  the  most  charm- 
ing features.  The  drainage  arrangements  and  the 
water  supply  are  alike  excellent.  There  is  one  train 
daily  from  Waterloo  via  Barnstaple,  in  about  seven 
hours. 

Westpn-super-Mare  and  the  adjacent  resorts, 
Minehead  and  Clevedon,  on  the  shore  of  the  Bristol 
Channel,  have  the  disadvantage  of  large  muddy  sand- 
fields  at  low  water,  and  their  climate  is  rather 
relaxing  than  bracing.  Weston  is,  however,  greatly 
frequented  for  sea  air  and  sea  bathing  by  the  inhabi- 
tants of  some  of  the  large  towns  in  the  west  of 
England,  Bristol,  Bath,  etc.,  as  well  as  by  people 
from  the  Midlands.  The  season  lasts  from  July  to 
October. 

Passing  now  to  the  opposite  Welsh  coast,  Penarth, 
close  to  Cardiff,  and  the  Mumbles,  near  Swansea,  are 
well  situated  and  pleasant  summer  coast  resorts. 

Tenby  is  the  most  important  and  the  most  popular 
seaside  resort  on  the  south  coast  of  Wales.  It  has  a 
decided  sea  climate,  mild,  and  fairly  dry,  and  is  about 
seven  hours  by  fast  train  from  London.  The  town 
stands  upon  the  western  side  of  Carmarthen  Bay,  on 
the  south-west  coast  of  Pembrokeshire.  It  is  built 
upon  the  point  and  north-eastern  margin  of  a  rocky 
peninsula,  composed  of  mountain  limestone,  rising  to 
nearly  100  feet  above  the  sea,  with  fine  land  and  sea 
views.  The  sands,  which  are  not  surpassed  at  any 
watering-place  in  the  kingdom,  are  most  extensive. 
The  bathing  is  therefore  very  good  and  free  from 
danger.  Sea  fishing  can  be  had  all  the  year  round. 

Tenby  has  its  summer  and  its  winter  season.  As 
a  winter  resort  Tenby  is  becoming  more  and  more 
popular  as  a  residence  for  invalids  suffering  from  pul- 
monary and  cardiac  affections.  The  mildness  of  the 
climate,  the  absence  of  frost,  and  the  sheltered  situa- 
tion, render  it  very  suitable  for  such  cases.  It  has 
about  i, 700  hours  of  bright  sunshine  in  the  year. 


520      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Aberystwith,  on  Cardigan  Bay,  is  one  of  the  chief 
resorts  on  the  west  coast  of  Wales.  It  is  sheltered 
by  hills  from  the  north  and  east,  but  it  is  exposed  to 
the  west,  south-west,  and  north-west.  Its  climate  is 
somewhat  mild  and  humid,  and  the  rainfall  is  large, 
46  inches  in  the  year.  But  it  is  said  to  prove  both 
soothing  and  invigorating  to  those  whose  nervous 
systems  have  become  irritable  and  enfeebled  by  over- 
work. It  has  a  mild  and  equable  temperature  in 
winter.  The  beach  is  shingle,  and  is  considered  very 
safe  for  bathing.  The  drainage  is  good,  and  the  water 
supply  is  abundant  and  pure. 

A  few  miles  to  the  north  of  Aberystwith,  on  an 
arm  of  the  bay,  is  Aberdovey,  a  small  seaside  resort 
of  recent  growth,  with  a  southern  aspect  and  mild 
climate. 

Another  neighbouring  and  popular  resort  on  this 
coast  is  Towyn,  with  very  firm  safe  sands  for  bathing. 

Barmouth  is,  like  Aberystwith,  on  the  shores  of 
Cardigan  Bay,  but  some  little  distance  further  north. 
It  has  much  the  same  climate,  the  same  protection 
from  the  north  and  east,  and  the  same  exposure  to  the 
west.  Owing  to  the  nearness  to  Barmouth  of  some 
of  the  finest  of  the  mountain  scenery  of  Wales,  it  is  a 
favourite  summer  resort,  but  it  has  the  disadvantage 
of  large  muddy  sand-fields  at  low  water.  Its  winter 
climate  is  very  equable.  It  is  said  to  be  dry  and 
mild,  and  suitable  as  a  winter  residence  for  pul- 
monary invalids  who  are  not  over- sensitive  to  cold 
winds.  The  soil  is  sandy,  and  the  rainfall  is  soon 
absorbed. 

The  town  is  situated  on  a  rocky  eminence,  facing 
southwards,  and  the  houses  are  mostly  built  in 
terraces  one  over  the  other  on  the  slope  of  this  hill. 
The  bathing  is  very  good.  The  beach  is  sandy,  with 
no  shingle.  The  best  time  to  visit  Barmouth  is  in  the 
early  summer.  In  August  the  heat  is  apt  to  be 
oppressive,  and  there  is  an  unpleasant  glare  from  the 
sands. 

Criccieth  and  Pwllheli  are  in  sheltered  positions 


LLANDUDNO.  521 

on  the  north  coast  of  Cardigan  Bay,  and  are  pleasant 
summer  resorts. 

Beaumaris,  on  the  Menai  Straits,  fully  exposed  to 
the  east,  has  fine  bracing  air  and  beautiful  sea  and 
mountain  scenery  ;  the  prospect  is  further  enlivened 
by  the  frequent  passage  of  shipping. 

Bangor,  Penmaenmawr,  and  Conway,  adjacent 
resorts  facing  north,  are  much  resorted  to  in  summer. 

Llandudno,  on  the  north  coast  of  Wales,  occupies 
an  exceptional  position,  and  enjoys  an  exceptional 
climate,  owing  to  the  protection  it  receives,  chiefly 
from  the  Great  Ormes  Head,  rising  to  an  elevation  of 
678  feet  above  the  sea,  which  shelters  it  from  the  west, 
north-west,  and  north.  It  is  also  protected  by  a  lower 
range  connected  with  the  Little  Ormes  Head,  to  the 
south  and  east. 

The  town  lies  in  a  valley  formed  by  these  two 
elevations,  and  this  valley  opens  at  both  ends  to  the 
sea — to  Llandudno  or  Ormes  Bay  on  the  north,  and 
Con  way  Bay  on  the  south-west. 

As  a  summer  resort  Llandudno  is  highly  and 
justly  popular  on  account  of  the  freshness  of  its 
atmosphere,  its  two  beautiful  bays,  and  the  admirable 
facilities  for  bathing  enjoyed  there  in  almost  all 
weathers. 

The  Ormes  Head  Marine  Drive  is  one  of  the 
great  attractions  of  the  place.  From  end  to  end  this 
is  about  five  miles  in  length.  Its  air — a  combination 
of  sea  and  mountain  air — is  pure  and  exhilarating, 
the  views  are  varied  and  attractive. 

Llandudno  has  also  been  recommended  as  a  winter 
resort,  especially  for  invalids  who  can  support  a  certain 
amount  of  windy  weather.  Its  annual  rainfall — 
31*14  inches — is  somewhat  below  the  average  rain- 
fall of  England  and  Wales,  which  is  35  inches. 
The  mean  humidity  of  the  air  in  winter  is  82^,,  so 
that  it  has  a  drier  winter  atmosphere  than  some  of 
our  south-west  coast  resorts ;  this  is  partly  due  to 
the  porousness  of  its  subsoil,  which  is  mostly  gravel 
and  sand. 


522      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Colwyn  Bay,  a  few  miles  east  of  Llandudno,  is 
also  a  popular  resort,  and  affords  excellent  sea  bathing 
and  many  picturesque  excursions  inland. 

Rhyl  is  only  twenty-four  miles  west  of  Liverpool, 
and  six  and  a-half  miles  east  of  Llandudno.  It  has 
little  that  is  attractive  beyond  its  pure  sea  air  and 
firm  and  extensive  sands. 

New  Brighton,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mersey,  and 
close  to  Birkenhead,  with  a  north-west  aspect,  look- 
ing partly  out  to  sea,  and  partly  over  the  opposite 
Lancashire  coast,  is  one  of  the  most  accessible  sea- 
side resorts  for  the  inhabitants  of  Liverpool,  by  whom 
it  is  much  frequented. 

Southport,  on  the  Lancashire  coast,  is  a  popular 
seaside  resort  for  some  of  the  large  towns  of  the 
north  of  England,  as  it  is  only  eighteen  miles  by  rail 
from  Liverpool,  and  thirty-seven  from  Manchester. 

Southport  has  a  fine  Marine  Promenade,  raised 
well  above  the  level  of  the  sands,  a  most  exhilarating 
and  inviting  place  for  exercise. 

The  pier  is  one  of  the  longest  in  England.  The 
water  goes  out  a  great  distance,  but  leaves  behind  it 
broad  and  firm  sands. 

Southport  has  an  Art  Gallery,  a  Free  Libraiy, 
Winter  and  Botanical  Gardens,  a  Public  Park,  and  a 
Convalescent  Hospital  and  Sea-Bathing  Infirmary. 

The  climate  of  Southport  seems  well  suited  to  the 
various  classes  of  invalids  who  require  the  tonic  and 
alterative  influence  of  bracing  sea  air. 

Blackpool,  on  the  Lancashire  coast  facing  the 
Irish  Sea,  has  become  a  very  popular  resort  in  the 
north  of  England.  It  lies  about  midway  between 
the  mouth  of  the  Ribble  and-Morecambe  Bay.  It  is 
only  sixteen  miles  from  Preston,  and  is  also  quickly 
reached  from  Manchester  and  Liverpool. 

Blackpool  lies  fully  open  to  the  westerly  winds 
which  prevail  on  this  coast.  It  has  a  fine  sea-port, 
bracing  air,  and  miles  of  good  sands  for  bathing. 

It  is  said  that  the  easterly  winds  of  spring  are  felt 
to  be  less  trying  there  than  further  south. 


MORECAMBE.  523 

The  promenade  and  carriage  drive  runs  for  a 
length  of  nearly  four  miles,  and  from  it  and  the 
two  piers  a  series  of  remarkably  fine  views  can 
be  obtained.  The  drainage  and  water  supply  are 
satisfactory. 

The  rainfall  is  moderate,  and  averages  32  inches 
per  annum. 

From  the  middle  of  July  to  the  middle  of 
September  Blackpool  is  crowded  with  visitors. 

Morecambe  and  Grange,  both  on  the  coast  of 
Morecambe  Bay,  have  considerable  attractions  as 
seaside  resorts  for  those  who  inhabit  the  great 
manufacturing  towns  in  this  part  of  the  north  of 
England.  Morecambe  commands  fine  views  of  the 
Bay  and  the  Lake  hills.  It  has  a  good  pier,  from 
which  extensive  views  of  the  Lake  mountains  can  be 
obtained  in  clear  weather. 

Grange  is  popular  as  a  seaside  resort  on  account 
of  the  beauty  of  the  adjacent  scenery  and  the  pro- 
tection it  obtains  from  the  lofty  crags  around  it,  which 
renders  its  climate  a  mild  one  and  suitable  for  winter 
residence. 

St.  Bees  and  Silloth,  further  north,  are  quiet, 
pleasant  sea-coast  resorts  in  Cumberland. 

Crossing  to  the  eastern  coast  of  England,  the 
most  northern  of  the  watering-places  on  the  Yorkshire 
coast  is  Redcar,  which  faces  a  fine  open  sea,  and  has 
extensive  sands  ;  but  it  is  too  near  the  manufacturing 
town  of  Middlesbrough  to  make  it  an  attractive 
resort  to  visitors  from  the  south. 

Saltburn-on-the-Sea,  only  a  few  miles  from 
Redcar,  enjoys  a  fine  position  on  the  coast  between 
it  and  Whitby.  Two  picturesque  wooded  glens  run 
down  to  the  sea.  There  are  beautiful  sands  for 
bathing,  and  the  fine,  bold,  lofty  cliffs  afford  admir- 
able promenades  and  fine  sea  views.  Saltburn  is  very 
picturesquely  situated,  the  town  is  well  built,  and 
offers  very  considerable  attractions  as  a  bracing, 
healthy,  seaside  resort.  It  has  brine  baths,  the  brine 
being  obtained  from  wells  at  Middlesbrough. 


524      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Whitby  is  situated  about  midway  between  Salt- 
burn  and  Scarborough,  and  is  reached  in  about  seven 
hours  from  London  by  Great  Northern  Railway.  It 
depends  for  its  prosperity  greatly  on  its  fisheries.  It 
is  also  famous  for  the  manufacture  of  jet  ornaments, 
the  material  of  which  is  found  in  the  neighbouring 
cliffs. 

Whitby  is  a  pleasant,  bracing,  summer  resort. 
The  sea  view  is  enlivened  by  the  frequent  passage 
of  large  ships  close  to  the  piers,  of  which  there  are 
two — east  and  west.  Boating  is  a  favourite  amuse- 
ment. There  is  good  sea  fishing,  and  there  is  also 
good  salmon  and  trout  fishing  in  the  river  Esk. 
The  sea  bathing  is  very  good ;  the  sands  generally 
are  firm  and  smooth. 

The  water  supply  is  excellent — pure  and  abun- 
dant. The  beautiful  grey  ruins  of  St.  Hilda's  Abbey 
form  an  interesting  feature  on  the  cliff. 

There  are  many  pleasant  villages  and  woods  within 
a  short  distance  of  Whitby.  Robin  Hood's  Bay,  a 
village  of  considerable  antiquity,  lies  to  the  south. 

August  to  November  is  considered  the  best  season 
for  Whitby.  July  is  sometimes  rainy,  and  the  spring 
months  are  to  be  avoided.  Its  fine  weather  comes 
late  in  the  season. 

Scarborough,  the  most  popular  of  northern  sea- 
side resorts,  is  situated  in  the  N.  Riding  of  Yorkshire, 
at  a  distance  of  five  hours  and  a-quarter  from  London 
(G.N.R.). 

The  greater  part  of  the  town  is  built  upon  a 
site  elevated  more  than  100  feet  above  the  level 
of  the  sea,  surmounting  a  range  of  precipitous  cliffs. 
The  Castle  Hill  on  the  north-east  of  the  town  rises 
to  an  altitude  of  285  feet,  it  juts  out  into  the  sea,  and 
serves  to  divide  the  town  into  two  parts,  the  North 
Bay  and  the  South  Bay.  It  is  on  the  borders  of  the 
latter  that  most  of  the  attractions  of  Scarborough  are 
situated. 

Oliver's  Mount,  more  to  the  south,  is,  at  its 
summit,  500  feet  above  the  sea. 


FILEY,  HUNSTANTON.  525 

Scarborough  is  healthfully  situated,  and  as  it 
is  well  looked  after,  from  a  sanitary  point  of  view, 
by  the  local  authorities,  it  has  high  claims  to  favour- 
able consideration  as  a  tonic  and  exhilarating  sea- 
side resort.  For  the  health-seeker,  pure  and  simple, 
it  is  perhaps  a  little  too  fashionable,  too  gay,  and 
at  times  a  little  noisy. 

Its  mean  temperature  for  January  is  38°  F.  and 
for  July  59-3.  The  mean  annual  rainfall  is  28  inches. 

The  water  supply  is  good,  and  comes  from  springs 
nearly  four  miles  from  the  town,  and  the  sewage 
arrangements  are  very  satisfactory.  There  are  fine 
sands  for  bathing,  and  there  are  chalybeate  and  saline 
springs  at  the  Spa. 

•  The  walks  and  drives  in  the  neighbourhood  are 
numerous  and  attractive. 

Filey,  eight  miles  from  Scarborough,  has  the  same 
fine  bracing  climate  as  the  larger  town,  without  its 
noise  and  excitement.  It  stands  on  an  elevated  posi- 
tion above  the  sea,  has  excellent  bathing,  and  many  in- 
teresting walks  in  its  neighbourhood.  The  death-rate 
is  reported  to  be  very  low,  and  to  those  who  desire  a 
healthy  and  quiet  but  bracing  seaside  resort  without 
the  gaiety  of  a  fashionable  populous  town,  Filey  will 
prove  more  attractive  than  Scarborough. 

Separated  from  Filey  Bay  by  the  bold  promontory 
of  Flamborough  Head  is  Bridlihgton  Quay,  with  fine 
cliffs  and  good  sands,  only  three  miles  from  Filey. 

Hunstanton,  on  the  southern  side  of  the  mouth 
of  "  The  Wash,"  is  a  popular  seaside  resort  for  the 
adjacent  towns  of  the  Eastern  Counties.  It  stands 
near  a  fine  cliff,  a  mile  long,  and  sixty  feet  high  at  its 
highest  point.  It  commands  an  extensive  sea  view, 
and  there  is  a  firm  sandy  beach  for  sea  bathing.  It 
is  a  quiet  resort,  and  shares  in  the  dry  bracing  climate 
of  this  coast. 

Cromer,  in  a  fine,  bracing  situation,  on  the  north- 
east coast  of  Norfolk,  now  reached  by  express  train 
from  London  in  about  three  hours,  lias,  of  recent 
years,  become  very  popular  and  fashionable,  chiefly 


526      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

on  account  of  the  high  estimate  which  has  been 
formed  of  its  salubrity  by  the  medical  profession. 
For  those  who  are  seeking  a  bracing  summer  seaside 
resort  it  certainly  possesses  great  attractions.  It  is 
surrounded  by  fine  country,  affording  admirable 
drives  to  places  of  interest  at  varying  distances  ; 
it  has  high  cliffs  on  each  side,  reaching  to  some 
200  feet  above  the  beach  ;  and  on  the  gorse-covered 
Lighthouse  Hills  to  the  east  of  the  town  there  are 
very  fine  golf  links,  with  a  club-house  and  two  finely- 
situated  adjacent  hotels.  There  are  extensive  firm 
sands  for  bathing,  and  a  fine  pier,  at  the  end  of  which 
a  large  enclosure,  with  glass-panelled  shelters,  capable 
of  accommodating  a  large  number  of  persons,  has 
been  erected.  The  shelters  are  so  arranged  as  to  afford 
protection  from  the  wind  from  whatever  quarter  it 
may  blow.  Shelters  are  also  provided  on  the  fine 
parades  adjoining  the  pier. 

As  to  the  climate,  it  is  essentially  a  bracing  one. 
Cromer  is  said  to  enjoy  fine  weather  in  the  late 
spring,  and  May  and  June  are  often  very  agreeable 
months.  In  the  summer  it  is  cooled  by  breezes  from 
the  North  Sea,  and  is  rarely  oppressively  hot  as  are 
some  of  the  southern  resorts.  Autumn  is  a  fine 
season,  with  much  sunshine,  little  rain,  and  ex- 
ceptionally few  fogs.  In  winter  it  is  said  to  be 
warmer  than  a  few  miles  inland.  In  1902  the  rain- 
fall for  the  second  half  of  the  year  was  only  9*5 
inches,  and  of  these  2*9  fell  in  August,  the  wettest 
month  of  the  year.  During  the  same  six  months 
there  were  782  hours  of  sunshine.  The  mean 
maximum  temperature  for  the  summer  three  months 
was  64°  F.,  and  the  mean  minimum  50°  F.  It  is 
said  to  be  one  of  the  dryest  and  healthiest  places  in 
England.  Its  death-rate  is  low,  only  8*4  per  1,000 
for  1902,  and  an  average  of  11*5  for  the  last  eight 
years.  The  town  is  well  drained  and  well  supplied 
with  wrater.  There  is  an  excellent  isolation  hospital 
three  miles  from  the  town,  to  which  infectious  cases 
can  be  sent.  Cromer  is  often  very  full  during  the 


EAST    COAST    RESORTS.  527 

summer  season,  and  proportionately  costly ;  it  has 
therefore  been  recommended  that  visitors  who  are 
able  to  do  so,  and  who  have  to  study  economy, 
should  come  early  in  the  year,  before  the  summer 
season  sets  in,  or  later,  after  it  is  over. 

Sheringham,  only  four  miles  to  the  west  of 
Cromer,  has  similar  attractions  and  a  like  climate. 
It  has  fine  high  cliffs  and  beautifully  situated  golf 
links  (18  holes).  It  is  quieter  than  Cromer,  and  less 
expensive  in  the  height  of  the  season. 

Mundesley,  which  is  situated  a  few  miles  on  the 
other  side  of  Cromer,  has  a  sanatorium  for  the  treat- 
ment of  consumptive  patients,  built  in  a  protected 
situation,  looking  south,  and  with  high  ground  between 
it  and  the  sea,  affording  a  protection  from  the  more 
prevalent  winds. 

Great  Yarmouth,  on  the  coast  of  Norfolk,  facing 
nearly  due  east,  is  121  miles  from  London,  rather 
more  than  three  hours  by  fast  train.  There  is  also 
regular  steamboat  communication  with  London 
during  the  summer  season.  It  is  one  of  the  great 
seats  of  the  herring  fishery.  It  has  extensive  sands 
for  bathing,  and  the  sea  air  is  fresh  and  bracing.  It 
is,  however,  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year  much 
exposed  to  violent  winds,  which  blow  the  sand  from 
the  surface  into  the  air,  and  make  out-of-door  exercise 
unpleasant. 

There  are  a  great  number  ot  cheap  lodging-houses, 
which  are  filled  during  the  summer  months  by  visitors 
chiefly  from  the  poorer  districts  of  London. 

Gorleston-on-Sea,  close  to  Yarmouth,  but  rather 
quieter,  has  the  same  climatic  characters. 

Lowest  oft,  about  ten  miles  from  Great  Yarmouth, 
on  the  Norfolk  coast,  is  a  very  popular  seaside  resort 
Like  Yarmouth,  it  looks  nearly  due  east,  and  has 
good  bracing  sea  air ;  it  is,  however,  quieter  than 
Yarmouth,  and  is  resorted  to  by  a  better  class  ot 
visitors. 

It  has  a  fine  harbour,  a  good  pier,  and  a  good 
beach,  partly  sand,  partly  shingle,  with  excellent 


528      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

bathing.  It  has  a  public  park  with  fine  views  of  the 
sea.  Its  adjacency  to  the  Norfolk  Broads  makes  the 
neighbourhood  attractive  to  yachting  men  and 
anglers. 

It  has  excellent  accommodation  for  visitors. 

Southwold  and  Aldeburgh,  quiet  summer  resorts, 
are  situated  between  Lowestoft  and  Felixstowe. 

Felixstowe,  upon  the  Suffolk  coast,  about  twelve 
miles  from  Ipswich,  has  a  southerly  aspect,  and  its 
merits  as  a  health  resort  have  made  it  deservedly 
popular.  The  air  is  bracing  and  dry,  its  cliffs  being 
sixty  feet  above  the  sea  level.  There  are  some 
well-sheltered  spots,  which  are  suitable  to  chest 
cases  even  in  the  winter  months.  The  weather 
in  most  seasons  is  generally  delightful  until  the  end  of 
February.  .The  colder  months  of  the  year  are  March, 
April,  and  perhaps  May  ;  the  prevalent  east  winds  are 
then,  as  elsewhere,  trying,  although  the  high  crag  cliffs 
much  shelter  the  houses  along  the  under-cliff.  The 
water  is  very  pure,  though  hard,  and  contains  some 
iron  derived  from  the  iron  pyrites  in  the  red  crag. 
The  bathing  is  safe,  and  excellent  in  every  respect. 
A  Convalescent  Home,  on  a  large  scale,  has  been 
established  there.  The  medical  men  of  the  surround- 
ing neighbourhood  think  highly  of  Felixstowe  as  a 
health  resort. 

Felixstowe  is  within  two  and  a-half  hours  from 
London,  by  rail.  The  warrens  at  Felixstowe  are 
used  as  golf  links.  One  of  the  largest  golf  clubs 
in  England  has  established  itself  there. 

Harwich,  well  known  as  an  important  port  for  the 
steamers  of  the  Great  Eastern  Company,  and  as  an 
ancient  fishing  town,  is  also  a  great  resort  during  the 
sea-bathing  season  for  excursionists  from  London, 
who  come  in  great  numbers  by  steamboat  and  by 
rail.  Dovercourt,  which  is  a  kind  of  suburb  of 
Harwich,  has  better  sea  bathing.  It  has  fine  firm 
sands,  and  is  altogether  a  pleasant  place  to  reside  in. 

Walton-on-the-Naze  and  Clacton-on-Sea,  near 
one  another,  on  the  Essex  coast,  have  become  very 


SEASIDE  RESORTS  CLASSIFIED.  529 

popular  of  late  years  as  good  bracing  seaside 
resorts,  providing  facilities  for  bathing  on  a  sandy 
shore,  and  conveniently  accessible  by  steamboat  or  by 
rail  from  the  East  End  of  London.  They  are  usually 
cheaper  than  the  more  fashionable  resorts  on  the 
south  coast. 

Southend,  on  the  north  bank  of  the  estuary  of  the 
Thames,  finishes  our  survey  of  the  watering-places  on 
our  English  coast.  It  has  the  merit  of  being  readily 
accessible,  and  is  a  convenient  resort  for  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  crowded  districts  at  the  east  of  London. 
Though  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  its  adjacency  to 
the  eastern  coast  obtains  for  its  climate  a  certain 
bracing  character,  and  it  has  extensive  sands  for 
bathing  and  for  recreation. 

Classification    of    English    and     Welsh    Seaside 
Resorts. 

From  the  point  of  view  of  climate  the  foregoing 
seaside  resorts  on  the  English  coast  admit  of  a  some- 
what rough  classification,  according  to  their  situation. 
Those  on  the  west  coast  are  warmer  and  moister  than 
those  on  the  east  coast,  owing  to  their  contact  with  a 
warmer  sea,  and  owing  to  the  prevalence  of  compara- 
tively warmer  and  moister  winds.  In  winter,  when 
this  difference  of  temperature  is  chiefly  manifested, 
there  may  be  an  increase  of  from  3°  to  6°  F.  of 
warmth  on  the  west  coast  over  that  on  the  east.  But 
from  January  to  May  this  gradually  decreases,  and  as 
summer  advances,  owing  to  the  sun  heat  and  the 
prevalence  of  warm  winds  from  the  continent  on  the 
east  coast,  the  conditions  of  temperature  may  be 
reversed. 

It  has  also  been  noticed,  especially  in  the  resorts 
on  the  Norfolk  and  Suffolk  coasts,  that  in  autumn, 
often  up  to  November  or  December,  owing  to  the 
comparative  absence  of  easterly  winds,  and  the  slighter 
influence  of  westerly  and  south-westerly  gales  over 
the  eastern  counties,  the  weather  is  warmer  and 


530      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

dryer  and  sunnier  than  at  any  other  part  of  the  year, 
or  than  the  weather  on  the  west  and  south-west 
coasts. 

The  east  coast  towns  are  much  dryer  than  those 
on  the  west  or  south-west  coasts,  the  easterly  winds  to 
which  the  former  are  exposed  being  continental  and 
dry  wrinds,  and  blowing  over  a  comparatively  narrow 
expanse  of  sea. 

It  follows  that  the  climate  of  the  seaside  resorts 
on  the  east  coast  are,  generally  speaking,  dryer  and 
more  bracing  than  those  on  the  west  and  south 
coasts,  and  less  suited  for  residence  in  winter,  and 
especially  in  spring,  during  the  prevalence  of  easterly 
and  north-easterly  winds ;  whereas  their  superior 
dryness  and  sometimes  even  greater  warmth  make 
them  valuable  in  summer  and  autumn. 

Of  course,  the  further  north  we  go  on  the  east 
coast,  the  colder  and  more  bracing  the  climate  of  the 
sea  coast  becomes,  except  in  localities  which  enjoy 
some  exceptional  amount  of  shelter,  or,  from  indenta- 
tions of  the  coast-line,  some  unusual  aspect. 

A  great  drawback  to  the  resorts  on  the  west  and 
south-west  coasts  is  their  large  rainfall,  which  is 
spread  over  a  great  number  of  rainy  days,  and  the 
associated  humidity  and  dulness  of  their  atmosphere. 
Such  conditions  are  the  opposite  of  bracing,  and 
these  places  may  be  said  to  possess  a  sedative  and 
somewhat  relaxing  climate,  modified,  no  doubt,  in 
certain  places  by  strictly  local  conditions  of  shelter 
from  prevailing  winds,  nature  of  soil,  etc. 

On  the  west  coast,  as  on  the  east  coast,  latitude 
makes  itself  felt  in  lowering  temperature  as  we 
proceed  north,  but  less  so,  owing  to  the  warmth  of 
the  Atlantic  currents. 

The  resorts  on  the  south  coast  have  been  grouped 
into  three  main  sub-divisions,  according  as  they 
approach  its  eastern  or  western  extremity. 

Those  situated  furthest  east — from  Westgate  to 
St.  Leonards — are  considered  to  partake  somewhat  of 
the  character  of  the  east  coast  resorts  ;  to  be  dryer 


SEASIDE    RESORTS    IN    IRELAND.  531 

and  more  bracing  than  those  further  west,  while  they 
are  warmer  in  winter  than  those  east  of  them. 

Those  furthest  west— from  Wey mouth  to  the 
Land's  End — are  especially  moist  and  warm  (in 
winter),  more  equable  both  in  winter  and  summer, 
and  for  these  reasons  more  sedative  and  relaxing. 

A  third  or  intermediate  group,  extending  from 
Eastbourne  to  Weymouth,  and  including  the  Isle  of 
Wight,  are  fairly  warm  and  dry,  less  relaxing  and 
moist  than  those  further  west,  less  bracing  than  those 
further  east. 

This  classification  is  by  no  means  free  from 
defects,  as  strictly  local  conditions  constantly  come 
into  play,  greatly  determining  the  bracing  or  relaxing 
influence  of  particular  places. 

//. — Ireland  and  Scotland. 

Of  popular  seaside  resorts  in  Ireland  and  Scotland, 
the  following,  beginning  with  Ireland,  are  the  chief : 

Queenstown,  in  the  Cove  of  Cork,  the  most 
popular  winter  resort  in  Ireland,  has  a  southern  aspect. 
It  is  built  in  terraces  on  the  side  of  a  hill  rising  from 
the  sea,  completely  open  to  the  south,  and  well 
protected  from  the  north  and  east.  Its  climate  is  re- 
markably mild  and  equable,  if  somewhat  humid  and 
relaxing. 

Its  mean  annual  temperature  is  51  '9°  F. 
winter  „  44-2    „ 

spring  ,,  50-17  ,/ 

Its  annual  rainfall  is  34  inches. 

It  would  seem  to  be  somewhat  warmer  than 
Hastings,  Bournemouth,  or  Ventnor,  and  to  have 
about  the  same  temperature  as  Torquay.  It  has  a 
good  sandy  beach  for  sea  bathing. 

Tramore,  with  its  bay,  is  also  on  the  south  coast, 
not  far  from  Waterford,  and  is  frequented  as  a  summer 
bathing  resort,  but  has  not  acquired  a  reputation  as  a 
winter  residence. 


532      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Glengarriff,  on  Bantry  Bay,  has  also  a  southern 
aspect,  and  enjoys  considerable  protection  from  cold 
winds  by  mountains  which  protect  it  on  the  north, 
east,  and  west.  It  has  a  mild  and  equable  climate, 
like  that  of  Queenstown,  but  slightly  warmer,  and 
is  surrounded  by  beautiful  scenery.  The  coast  around 
is  very  interesting  and  rom  antic.  Thackeray  wrote  of 
it  as  "  a  country  the  magn'ficence  of  which  no  pen 
can  give  an  idea."  It  merits  to  be  better  known  and 
more  frequented  as  a  winter  resort  for  persons  with 
delicate  chests.  Its  mean  winter  temperature  is 
45°  F.  The  luxuriant  vegetation  testifies  to  the 
mildness  of  its  winter  climate. 

There  are  many  beautiful  spots  on  the  south- 
west coast  of  Ireland  with  a  comparatively  mild 
winter  temperature,  but  the  rainfall  is  large  and  the 
atmosphere  extremely  humid,  so  that  they  are  not 
attractive  or  suitable  as  winter  resorts.  At  Valencia 
the  mean  annual  rainfall  is  as  much  as  55*8  inches, 
and  it  has  been  stated  that  in  certain  places  as  much 
as  90  inches  have  been  recorded  in  the  year ! 

Other  picturesque  resorts  on  this  coast  to  which 
the  above  observations  apply  are  Parknasilla,  on  the 
northern  shore  of  the  Bay  of  Kenmare,  with,  a  com- 
bination of  mountain,  woodland,  and  sea  views. 
Waterville,  Dingle,  Tralee,  Ballybunnion  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Shannon,  Kilrush  on  its  estuary,  Kil- 
kee,  Co.  Clare — the  two  last  have  good  sands  for 
sea  bathing  and  a  healthy  climate,  but  they  are 
necessarily  much  exposed  to  Atlantic  gales  and  not 
rarely  enveloped  in  fog  and  mist. 

Milltown-Malbay  lies  north  of  Kilkee,  and  is 
resorted  to  in  the  summer  for  bathing  and  fishing. 
Still  further  north  on  the  shores  of  Clew  Bay  are 
the  summer  resorts  of  Westport,  Newport,  and 
Mallirany.  To  the  north  of  Clew  Bay  is  Achill. 

Bundoran,  on  the  Bay  of  Donegal,  is  one  of  the 
most  popular  summer  resorts  on  the  north-west 
coast,  as  is  Buncrana,  on  Lough  Swilly,  on  the  north 
coast. 


SEASIDE    RESORTS    IN    IRELAND.  533 

Portrush  has  been  called  the  "  Brighton "  of 
Ireland,  its  proximity  to  Giant's  Causeway  making 
it  a  very  frequented  resort.  It  is  situated  near  the 
extreme  north  of  Co.  Antrim,  and  has  very  grand 
coast  scenery.  It  has  a  fine  sandy  beach,  but  the  sea 
is  rather  rough  and  the  air  keen  and  bracing.  It  has 
rather  a  large  annual  rainfall,  about  47  inches,  but  the 
soil,  being  porous,  dries  rapidly  after  rain.  It  is  cold 
during  the  winter,  from  its  exposed  situation.  The 
accommodation  for  visitors  is  good. 

Port  Stewart,  three  miles  from  Portrush,  has 
similar  climatic  characters. 

Bangor  is  a  very  popular  summer  resort,  being 
only  ten  miles  from  Belfast  on  the  Co.  Down 
side  of  the  Lough.  It  has  a  history  extending  back 
to  earlier  than  the  ninth  century,  when  the  Danes 
destroyed  an  abbey  there.  Situated  on  the  southern 
shore  of  Belfast  Lough,  it  enjoys  very  fine  and  bracing 
air. 

Hollywood  is  practically  a  suburb  of  Belfast, 
from  which  it  is  distant  only  five  miles. 

Donaghadee,  a  small  seaside  resort  in  Co.  Down, 
twenty-two  miles  by  rail  from  Belfast,  and  only 
twenty-one  miles  from  the  nearest  port  in  Scotland 
(Port  Patrick).  It  has  a  fine  harbour  and  a  lighthouse. 
It  is  sheltered  from  the  south  and  west  winds  but 
open  to  the  east  and  north-east,  which  gives  it  a 
bracing  summer  climate.  There  are  good  public 
promenades  and  gardens.  There  are  excellent  public 
baths  and  good  bays  for  sea  bathing  adjacent  to  the 
town. 

Rostrevor,  a  beautiful  summer  resort  on  Carling- 
ford  Bay,  at  the  southern  extremity  «f  Co.  Down. 
It  is  protected  from  the  north  and  east  by  the 
Mourne  mountains,  and  lies  open  to  the  south.  It 
is  a  delightful  quiet  retreat,  the  valleys  covered  with 
verdure  and  enclosed  by  rugged  mountain  summits. 
Its  protection  from  the  north-east  makes  it  a  most 
agreeable  resort  in  spring.  Good  accommodation  is 
provided  for  visitors  in  the  hotels  and  lodging-houses. 


534      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Rail  from  Dublin  or  Belfast  to  Warrenpoint,  a  distance 
of  two  miles  (tramcar).  Many  pleasing  excursions 
can  be  made  in  the  neighbourhood.  The  drainage 
and  water  supply  are  good.  As  the  subsoil  is  sandy 
the  surface  dries  quickly  after  rain.  There  is  in  the 
neighbourhood  a  sanatorium  for  the  open-air  treat- 
ment of  consumption. 

Newcastle,  in  Dundrum  Bay,  Co.  Down,  is 
about  twenty  miles  from  Rostrevor,  and,  like  it,  is  a 
favourite  summer  resort.  It  is  beautifully  situated  at 
the  foot  of  the  highest  of  the  Mourne  mountains,  and 
has  a  fine  sandy  beach.  There  are  numerous  attractive 
walks  and  drives  in  the  country  around,  with  a 
combination  of  sea  and  mountain  air.  There  is  a 
recently  erected  bathing  establishment.  The  accom- 
modation for  visitors  is  good. 

Malahide,  on  the  east  coast,  is  near  Dublin,  and 
Howth  is  still  nearer,  both  a  little  to  the  north  of 
the  capital.  They  are  popular  summer  resorts. 

Kingstown  is  really  a  suburb  of  Dublin,  being  but 
a  few  miles  distant,  and  on  the  southern  shore  of  the 
beautiful  Bay  of  Dublin.  This  district  has  the  smallest 
rainfall  in  Ireland,  but  is  much  exposed  to  east  winds 
in  spring. 

Bray,  on  the  coast  of  Wicklow,  is  only  fourteen 
miles  from  Dublin,  and  is  very  picturesquely  situated 
with  the  Wicklow  mountains  behind  it.  Bray  Head 
reaches  to  650  feet  above  the  sea.  Bray  is  an  extremely 
popular  summer  resort  owing  to  its  nearness  to  the 
capital  and  its  great  physical  attractions.  Greystones, 
a  little  further  south,  is  a  much  quieter  resort. 

Scotland  has  so  many  attractions  in  its  mountains, 
lochs,  and  rivers  that  its  seaside  resorts  sink  into 
minor  significance,  and  are  not  numerous. 

Rothesay,  on  the  west  coast,  the  capital  of  the 
Island  of  Bute,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Firth  of  Clyde,  is 
popular  both  as  a  winter  and  as  a  summer  resort. 
The  climate  is  moist  and  mild,  the  scenery  very  fine, 
and  the  bathing  good.  The  island,  which  is  only 


SEASIDE    RESORTS    IN    SCOTLAND.         535 

eighteen  miles  in  length,  and  four  or  five  in  breadth, 
is  almost  surrounded  by  the  lofty  hills  of  the  opposite 
coast.  Its  climate  is  characterised  by  great  equability  ; 
the  temperature  rarely  falls  below  freezing  point,  and 
rarely  rises  above  70°  F.  ;  for  the  winter  three 
months  it  is  39*3°  F. ;  the  mean  annual  rainfall  is  40 
inches.  The  difference  in  temperature  between 
Glasgow  and  Rothesay  is  sometimes  as  much  as 
10  or  15°. 

The  Isle  of  Arran,  in  the  Firth  of  Clyde,  is 
resorted  to  by  great  numbers  in  the  summer  for 
its  sea  bathing  and  fine  scenery. 

There  is  very  little  accurate  information  to  be 
obtained  as  to  other  resorts  on  this  coast,  but  there 
are  probably  many  with  almost  similar  advantages  of 
mildness  and  equability  to  those  of  Rothesay.  One 
of  these — 

Ardrossan,  on  the  coast  of  Ayrshire,  is  certainly 
popular.  It  is  frequented  chiefly  for  its  sea  bathing. 
It  has  cool,  humid,  and  equable  summers,  and  mild 
winters,  with  rather  much  rain,  however.  The 
amount  of  humidity  and  cloudiness  of  this  district  in 
winter  makes  it  unsuitable  to  most  invalids. 

Other  small  resorts  on  the  same  coast  are  Wemyss 
Bay,  Millport,  Largs,  Tunellan,  Dunoon,  etc. 

Oban,  on  the  coast  of  Argyllshire,  is  a  very  popular 
summer  resort,  and  serves  often  as  the  starting  point 
for  tours  in  the  Western  Highlands.  Much  yachting 
and  boating  takes  place- there.  It  has  a  moist  climate, 
and  a  large  annual  rainfall  (52  inches).  Its  mean 
January  temperature  is  39*8°,  and  for  July  and  August 

57*3°  F. 

The  following  are  the  chief  seaside  resorts  on  the 
east  coast  : 

North  Berwick,  twenty-two  miles  from  Edinburgh, 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Firth  of  Forth,  is  a  pleasant 
seaside  resort  in  summer,  and  is  much  frequented  by 
visitors  from  Edinburgh  and  adjacent  towns  for  sea 
bathing  on  its  excellent  sands.  It  also  has  extensive 
Links,  for  golf  players,  between  the  sea  and  the 


536      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

town.  It  has  a  fine  sea  view,  enlivened  by  the 
constant  passage  of  ships.  Its  climate  is  tonic  and 
invigorating. 

Largo,  in  the  bay  of  that  name,  Grail,  Elie  with 
Earlsferry,  are  seaside  resorts  on  the  Fifeshire  coast. 

St.  Andrews,  on  the  coast  of  Fifeshire,  forty-four 
miles  by  rail  from  Edinburgh,  is  situated  on  the 
small  bay  of  St.  Andrews.  From  its  position  on 
the  bay  it  is  exposed  to  the  north-east  winds,  which 
are  the  prevailing  winds  in  spring.  For  fairly  strong 
persons,  however,  the  climate  is  bracing  and  healthy. 
The  city  stands  on  a  high  cliff  or  rock,  forming  a 
peninsula  jutting  into  the  North  Sea  between  the 
bay  on  one  side,  and  the  Burn  of  Kinness,  or  Nether 
Burn,  a  small  stream  skirting  the  town,  on  the 
southern  and  eastern  sides.  To  the  north-west  of  the 
town  stretch  the  celebrated  Links — uneven  downs 
formed  by  the  sea.  These  are  nearly  two  miles  in 
extent,  and  there  are  similar  downs  south-east  of  the 
town.  St.  Andrews  is  the  headquarters  of  the  old 
Scottish  game  of  golf,  and  for  the  sake  of  this 
game,  as  well  as  for  fine  bracing  sea  air,  it  is  much 
resorted  to  in  the  fine  months  of  summer.  There 
are  many  antiquities  and  objects  of  interest  in  this 
ancient  town,  and  there  are  the  ruins  of  an  old 
castle  on  a  cliff  on  the  bay,  the  foundation  of  which 
dates  back  to  the  thirteenth  century. 

Broughty  Ferry,  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Firth  of  Tay,  may  be  regarded  as  a  seaside  suburb  of 
Dundee,  and  is  greatly  frequented  in  the  summer. 

Stonehaven,  on  the  coast  of  Kincardineshire, 
sixteen  miles  south  of  Aberdeen,  is  very  picturesquely 
situated  near  the  mouth  and  on  both  sides  of  the 
river  Carron,  and  is  popular  as  a  bathing-place.  It 
is  a  pleasant,  cheerful,  summer  resort,  with  fine 
bracing  sea  air. 

Aberdeen. — There  are  magnificent  sands  at  Aber- 
deen for  sea  bathing,  on  the  coast  just  to  the  north 
of  the  port,  but  they  are  a  little  distance  from  the 
city.  A  large  bathing  establishment  has  been  built 


SEASIDE    RESORTS    IN    SCOTLAND.         537 

near  the  sea.  The  north-east  coast  of  Scotland  gets 
a  fair  amount  of  sunshine,  and  has  a  comparatively 
small  rainfall. 

Dornoch,  the  chief  town  of  Sutherlandshire,  has 
golf  links  and  good  sea-bathing. 

Cruden  Bay,  thirty  miles  from  Aberdeen,  has 
recently  become  popular  as  a  bracing  seaside  resort 
with  excellent  golf  links,  and  good  bathing  from  a 
firm  sandy  beach  two  miles  in  length.  It  is  six  and  a- 
half  hours  from  Edinburgh.  Good  hotel  accommo- 
dation. 

Nairn  is  the  county  town  of  Nairnshire,  and  is 
situated  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river  Nairn,  near  its 
confluence  with  the  Moray  Firth,  about  eighteen 
miles  north-east  of  Inverness.  It  is  much  frequented 
for  sea  bathing  on  account  of  its  good  sands  and  its 
accessibility.  It  has  also  been  recommended  as  a 
winter  resort,  as  its  climate  has  been  stated  to  be 
much  warmer  owing  to  local  conditions  (having  the 
Highlands  to  its  windward)  than  might  have  been 
expected  from  its  latitude.  The  mean  temperature 
for  January  is  37-1°  F.,  for  July  57-3°  F. ;  and  the 
mean  annual  temperature  is  46*2°  F.  Its  rainfall  is 
relatively  small,  the  annual  mean  being  24*53  inches. 
Owing  to  the  porousness  of  the  subsoil  it  dries  rapidly 
after  rain. 

Having  now  passed  in  review  the  chief  seaside 
resorts  on  our  own  coasts,  we  propose  in  the  next 
chapter  to  describe  briefly  the  chief  resorts  of  this 
kind  which  are  frequented  on  the  Continent. 


CHAPTER    IV. 
CONTINENTAL    SEASIDE    RESORTS. 

IT  will  be  convenient  to  consider,  first,  the  neigh- 
bouring resorts  on  the  other  side  of  the  English 
Channel,  together  with  those  on  the  North  Sea  coast, 
beginning  with  the  French  resorts. 

Passing  from  east  to  west,  the  first  we  encounter 
is  Dunkirk,  an  old  Flemish  town  of  33,000  inhabitants, 
situated  in  the  midst  of  barren  downs.  It  is  an 
important  fortress  and  garrison  town,  as  well  as  a 
commercial  port. 

As  a  sea-bathing  place,  Dunkirk  is  chiefly  fre- 
quented by  visitors  from  the  country  round  about. 
It  has  a  large  number  of  English  residents,  life  there 
being  cheap  and  pleasant. 

There  is  a  railway  from  Calais  to  Dunkirk.  There 
is  also  communication  with  London  by  steamboat, 
every  few  days. 

Calais  is  not  attractive  as  a  sea-bathing  station ; 
the  beach  is  shingle,  and  the  resources  for  visitors 
are  very  limited. 

Boulogne-sur-Mer  is  one  of  the  most  popular 
French  watering-places.  The  old  town  stands  on  a 
hill  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river  Liane,  and  is  con- 
nected with  the  new  town,  lower  down  and  nearer 
the  port,  by  the  Grande  Rue,  a  handsome  thoroughfare, 
with  good  shops.  The  great  attraction  of  Boulogne 
is  its  fine  sandy  beach  for  bathing. 

The  climate  is  fairly  dry  and  bracing.  Dryer  and 
sunnier  than  on  the  opposite  English  coast. 

Berck-sur-Mer,  a  few  miles  west  of  Boulogne,  is 
noted  for  its  sanatoria  for  scrofulous  children.  The 
city  of  Paris  has  established  a  vast  sanatorium  there 
capable  of  accommodating  700  to  800  children.  There 


LE     CROTOY,     DIEPPE,  539 

is  a  great  extent  of  fine  sands,  and  the  air  is  decidedly 
bracing. 

Le  Crotoy  is  close  to  Berek,  and  on  the  right  bank 
of  the  Somme,  opposite  Saint  Valery.  It  is  resorted 
to  greatly  by  Parisians  on  account  of  the  excellent 
sea  bathing  on  its  fine  sandy  beach. 

It  has  a  large  Etabiissement  des  Bains,  with  an 
extensive  terrace  facing  the  sea,  and  on  the  other  side 
a  large  garden. 

It  has  much  the  same  climate  as  Boulogne,  but  it 
is  much  quieter. 

Saint  Valery-sur-Somme,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Somme,  and  on  its  left  bank,  is  connected  by  rail  with 
Abbeville,  from  which  place  it  is  distant  about  forty 
minutes. 

It  is  a  clean,  neat,  agreeable  town,  with  many 
ancient  monuments  of  interest.  William  the  Con- 
queror is  said  to  have  sailed  from  this  port  when  he 
invaded  England. 

The  bathing  here  is  not  so  good  as  at  Le  Crotoy, 
as  the  water  is  generally  sandy,  except  at  high  tide. 

The  next  well-known  resort  on  this  coast  is  Le 
Treport.  It  is  about  two  hours  from  Longpre,  a 
station  between  Amiens  and  Abbeville.  It  is  at  the 
mouth  of  the  river  Bresle,  and  consists  of  an  old 
town  half-way  up  the  cliff,  and  a  new  town  extending 
to  the  beach,  where  the  Etabiissement  des  Bains,  and 
many  elegant  villas  and  chalets  have  been  erected. 

Bathing  (at  high  tide  on  shingle,  at  low  tide  on 
sand)  is  carried  on  in  three  different  reserved  spaces ; 
that  on  the  right  being  for  ladies  only,  the  next  for 
families,  and  that  on  the  left  for  men  only. 

Close  by  is  a  hydropathic  and  warm  sea-bath 
establishment. 

The  population  is  exclusively  composed  of 
fishermen. 

Dieppe  is  the  most  popular  of  seaside  resorts  on 
this  coast,  and  justly  so.  It  is  reached  in  about  four 
hours  from  Newhaven.  It  is  picturesquely  situated 
between  two  ranges  of  hills,  forming  on  both  sides 


540      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

high  white  cliffs,  visible  from  a  considerable  distance. 
The  harbour  divides  the  town  into  two  parts,  Dieppe 
proper  on  the  west,  and  a  suburb  (Le  Pollet)  on  the 
east,  where  the  fishermen  and  sailors  live. 

Dieppe,  during  the  bathing  season,  is  full  of  life 
and  gaiety.  The  beach  is  more  than  two-thirds  of 
a  mile  in  length.  The  Casino  and  Etablissement 
des  Bains  are  united  in  the  same  building.  A 
theatre  has  been  added  to  the  Casino ;  it  is  an 
elegant  house,  with  room  for  800  people. 

Behind  the  Casino  is  a  fine,  carefully  laid-out  and 
well-kept  garden,  a  special  portion  of  which  has  been 
set  apart  for  children.  It  also  contains  a  gymnasium 
and  a  hydropathic  establishment. 

There  is  an  establishment,  in  the  Rue  de  1' Hotel 
de  Ville,  where  warm  seabaths  can  be  taken.  It  is 
open  all  the  year  round,  and  comprises  reading, 
billiard  rooms,  and  a  fine  concert  room. 

Excursions  into  the  beautiful  country  around 
Dieppe  are  numerous  and  interesting. 

Veules  is  a  very  picturesque  little  seaside  resort 
on  the  line  from  Paris  to  Fecamp.  It  is  rapidly 
becoming  popular,  on  account  of  its  good  beach  for 
bathing  and  its  charming  situation.  It  is  on  the  river 
Veule,  in  the  valley  of  which  there  are  lovely  walks. 

Saint  Valery  en  Caux,  a  little  further  west  on  this 
coast,  and  about  two  and  a-half  hours  by  rail  from 
Rouen,  is  situated  at  the  end  of  a  small  bay  between 
two  high  cliffs.  It  is  a  place  resorted  to  greatly  during 
the  season  by  families  desirous  of  a  quiet  and  inex- 
pensive life  and  good  sea  bathing,  which  its  firm, 
sandy  beach  affords. 

Fe'camp  is  an  active  sea-port,  with  one  of  the 
safest  harbours  on  this  coast.  It  is  a  town  of  12,000 
inhabitants,  two  and  a-half  hours  from  Rouen  by 
express  train.  It  is  built  in  a  picturesque,  winding, 
narrow  valley,  and  has  a  simple,  quiet,  and  peaceful 
aspect. 

The  beach  is  of  shingle,  and  a  little  distance  from 
the  town.  There  is  a  very  grand  Etablissement  des 


FECAMP,    YPORT,    ETRETAT.  541 

Bains  de  Mer,  "one  of  the  finest  buildings  oi  the 
kind  ever  constructed."  It  contains  a  very  good 
hotel,  theatre,  concert-hall,  and  reading  and  recreation 
rooms. 

Warm  seabaths  are  a  speciality  at  Fecamp, 
where  the  custom  is  to  line  the  bath  with  a  thick  layer 
of  seaweed.  This  has  the  effect  of  imparting  to  the 
water  the  peculiar  properties  of  the  weed,  so  rich  in 
bromine  and  iodine.  The  mean  temperature  of  the 
air  in  the  hottest  summer  month  (August)  is  63-6°  F. 

Good  hotels  and  pretty  villa  residences  are 
found  on  the  cliffs  behind  the  Casino. 

A  cliff,  300  feet  high,  rises  to  the  north  of 
Fecamp,  with  a  chapel  seven  centuries  old  on  its 
summit.  It  is  visited  by  a  number  of  pilgrims  on 
the  25th  of  March.  There  are  some  curious  grottoes 
in*  the  cliff. 

Yport,  four  miles  west  of  Fecamp,  is  another  of 
those  small  picturesque  fishing  villages  on  this  coast 
which  have  of  late  years  become  converted  into 
fashionable  seaside  resorts.  The  beach  (all  sand), 
sheltered  by  two  high  cliffs,  is  somewhat  small,  and 
bathing  can  only  take  place  at  low  tide.  There  are 
very  few  stations  on  the  coast  more  pleasantly  situated 
than  this  one,  as  on  no  other  point  are  trees  to  be 
found  so  near  the  sea.  The  forest  of  Hogues  slopes 
down  almost  to  the  very  edge  of  the  cliffs. 

Not  far  from  Yport  is  the  pretty  sand  beach  of 
Les  Petites  Dalles,  generally  resorted  to  by  families. 

Between  Fecamp  and  Havre  is  Etretat,  situated 
between  two  cliffs,  270  feet  high,  and  renowned 
for  the  beauty  and  picturesqueness  of  its  landscapes. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  frequented  sea-bathing  places 
on  the  Channel  coast. 

It  is  unlike  any  of  the  other  watering-places  ;  its 
aspect  is  striking  and  original  in  the  highest  degree. 
The  ground,  lower  than  the  water  at  high  tide,  is 
protected  by  a  barrier  of  fragments  of  rocks  which 
has  often  been  destroyed  by  the  waves.  An  old 
custom,  derived  from  this  peculiar  position,  still 


542      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

prevails.  On  Ascension  Day  the  local  clergy,  in  a 
curious  ceremony,  including  the  benediction  of  the 
waves,  bid  the  sea  not  to  come  beyond  its  limits,  and 
to  respect  the  little  village. 

Etretat  has  been  a  favourite  resort  for  artists  and 
literary  men. 

The  Casino  is  erected  on  the  highest  and  most 
central  point  of  the  beach.  From  the  terrace  the 
view  of  the  country  around  is  magnificent. 

The  environs  of  Etretat  are  most  charming,  and 
abound  in  beautiful  w^alks. 

Le  Havre,  the  chief  port  on  the  north  of  France, 
has  also  bathing  stations  in  that  part  of  the  bay  which 
extends  from  the  North  Jetty  to  Ste.  Adresse ;  the 
most  important  are  the  well-known  Etablissement 
Frascati  and  that  of  Ste.  Adresse  at  the  foot  of  the 
hills.  The  beach  is  pebbly,  and  bathers  require 
shoes. 

Honfleur,  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Seine,  opposite 
Le  Havre,  can  scarcely  be  called  a  health  resort ; 
its  beach  is  muddy,  and  the  sea  bathing  is  not  there- 
fore attractive  to  visitors  ;  it  has,  however,  many 
points  of  interest  for  the  tourist.  Steamers  go  from 
Newhaven  to  Honfleur  twice  a  week. 

Villerville,  six  miles  from  Honfleur  by  a  pic- 
turesque and  shady  road  skirting  the  sea,  is  a  small 
bathing-place,  with  a  fine  sandy  beach  and  a  bracing 
climate. 

Trouville  and  Deauville  form  practically  but  one 
town  ;  they  are  five  and  a-half  hours  by  express  train 
from  Paris.  Small  steamboats  also  ply  between 
Trouville,  Le  Havre  and  Honfleur. 

Trouville  is  one  of  the  most  fashionable  and  most 
pleasant  watering-places  on  this  coast. 

The  situation  of  the  town  is  particularly  fine.  It 
stands  at  the  mouth  and  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river 
Touques,  at  the  foot  of  a  pleasant  hill  studded  with 
pretty  villas  and  gardens. 

The  Casino  of  Trouville  is  composed  of  several 
detached  pavilions,  in  front  of  which  is  a  wide  terrace, 


TROUVILLE,    HOULGATE.  543 

communicating  with  the  beach  by  a  flight  of  steps. 
The  interior  decoration  of  the  Casino,  and  particularly 
of  the  "grand  salon,"  is  of  great  beauty  and  richness. 

The  bathing  season  extends  from  June  ist  to  the 
middle  of  October.  The  beach,  a  very  fine  sandy 
one,  is  divided  into  three  separate  parts — the  first  on 
the  left  being  reserved  for  ladies,  the  second  for  ladies 
and  gentlemen,  and  the  third  for  gentlemen  only. 
Trouville  is  also  provided  with  a  very  good  hydro- 
pathic establishment. 

A  fine  stone  bridge  connects  Deauville  with 
Trouville. 

The  country  around  is  very  picturesque  and  well 
wooded,  and  there  are  a  number  of  interesting  places 
to  be  visited. 

Five  miles  west  of  Trouville  and  Deauville  is 
Villers-sur-Mer,  which  is  now  connected  with  the 
main  line  of  railway  from  Paris  to  Caen.  It  is  much 
quieter  than  its  fashionable  neighbours,  and  it  is  less 
expensive.  It  is  therefore  a  popular  resort  for  families, 
who  come  in  great  numbers  in  the  summer  months 
to  enjoy  its  cool  sea  breezes  and  to  bathe  on  its 
excellent  sands.  It  is  most  charmingly  situated  at  the 
opening  of  a  wide  valley,  and  has  most  agreeable  and 
picturesque  surroundings. 

A  few  miles  further  west  we  come  to  Houlgate  and 
Beuzeval,  connected  together  by  a  street  bordered 
with  pretty  houses.  Houlgate,  with  its  beautiful  villas, 
splendid  hotels,  and  admirably  appointed  Casino,  is  an 
aristocratic  and  fashionable  bathing-place.  The  sands, 
sloping  gently  towards  the  sea,  are  lined  with  rows 
of  bathing-machines  or  cabins  ;  and  large  umbrellas, 
firmly  set  in  the  ground,  afford  excellent  shelter 
against  the  overpowering  rays  of  the  sun.  Bathing 
at  Houlgate  is  very  convenient,  and  there  is,  besides, 
a  very  complete  hydropathic  establishment,  where 
baths  and  douches  of  all  descriptions  can  be  taken  at 
all  times. 

Beuzeval,  on  the  other  side  of  the  small  stream 
which  separates  it  from  Houlgate,  is  essentially  a 


544      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

quiet  place,  a  family  bathing  station,  where  all  the 
visitors  know  each  other.  Its  proximity  to  Houlgate 
enables  the  residents,  who  feel  so  inclined,  to  share  in 
all  the  amusements  going  on  there,  without  experi- 
encing the  disadvantages  inherent  to  fashionable 
watering-places. 

Still  further  west,  close  to  the  little  town  of 
Dives,  and  on  the  left  bank  of  the  river  of  that  name, 
at  its  mouth,  is 

Cabourg,  with  a  fine  sandy  beach  four  or  five 
miles  in  length,  where  bathing  can  be  indulged  in  at 
any  state  of  the  tide.  A  pleasant,  smaller  and 
quieter  bathing-place,  Home-Varaville,  is  only  two 
and  a-half  miles  from  Cabourg  ;  and  many  prefer  it 
on  account  of  its  greater  quiet  and  retirement. 

A  number  of  small  watering-places  succeed  one 
another  on  the  coast  of  Calvados,  west  of  the  mouth 
of  the  river  Orne.  The  first  of  these  is  Lion-sur-Mer, 
a  little  distance  from  the  sea,  with  a  small  bathing 
establishment.  Next  comes  Luc-sur-Mer,  about  two 
miles  from  the  former.  It  is  frequented  in  summer 
by  bathers,  chiefly  from  Caen.  Here  the  celebrated 
belt  of  rocks — the  rocks  of  Calvados — commences. 
Next  we  have  Langrune-sur-Mer,  with  a  small 
bathing  establishment ;  then,  about  a  mile  further 
west,  Saint  Aubin-sur-Mer,  where,  as  most  of  the 
houses  are  on  the  beach,  visitors  can  take  their  sea- 
bath  from  their  own  door — a  plan  both  convenient  and 
economical.  Three  miles  further  still  is  Courseulles, 
a  small  port  at  the  mouth  of  the  Seulles,  with  pro- 
ductive oyster  beds  and  a  small  bath  establishment. 

These  and  others  adjacent  are  all  pleasant,  quiet 
seaside  resorts  where  good  sea  bathing  and  pure  sea 
air  can  be  obtained,  and  where  living  is  simple  and 
inexpensive. 

S.  Vaast  la  Hogue  is  a  small  seaport  with  a  fine 
bay  looking  east,  on  the  Normandy  coast.  Previous 
to  the  rise  of  Cherbourg  it  was  the  chief  port  of  the 
Cotentin.  It  has  good  sea  bathing,  and  fine  coast 
views  can  be  obtained  from  the  country  around. 


BA  RFLE  UR—CA  NCA  LE.  54  5 

Barfleur,  on  the  same  coast  and  with  the  same 
aspect  as  the  preceding,  is  only  seven  miles  from  it. 
It  is  about  a  mile  from  the  extreme  point  of  the  Cap 
de  Gatteville,  where  there  is  a  fine  lighthouse  271 
feet  above  the  sea. 

Fifteen  miles  west  of  Barfleur  is  Cherbourg,  the 
principal  naval  port  of  France  ;  it  is  situated  in  the 
centre  of  a  bay  at  the  north  extremity  of  the 
peninsula  of  the  Cotentin.  It  is  nearly  opposite 
Portsmouth,  from  which  it  is  distant  seventy  miles. 
There  is  good  and  safe  bathing  on  the  sands  to  the 
end  of  the  avantport  and  jetee,  where  there  is  a 
bathing  establishment,  with  a  casino  for  balls, 
concerts,  etc.  In  front  the  Casino  has  a  garden  and 
fine  terrace,  with  a  beautiful  view  over  the  harbour 
and  pier. 

At  Cap  de  la  Hague  the  coast  line  turns  again 
sharp  to  the  south,  and  at  nearly  the  end  of  this 
indentation  of  the  coast  line  we  find  the  seaport  of 
Granville,  situated  at  the  foot  of  a  rocky  promontory, 
projecting  into  the  British  Channel.  It  is  about 
twenty-five  miles  from  Cherbourg  by  land.  It  is  a 
busy  trading  town,  and  many  ships  are  built  there. 

The  baths  lie  close  under  the  cliff,  and  can  only 
be  approached  through  a  breach  in  the  rocks.  There 
is  a  fine  expanse  of  smooth,  broad  sands,  quite  shut 
out  from  the  town.  Instead  of  using  machines  the 
bathers  are  enclosed  in  canvas  cases,  carried  like 
sedan-chairs. 

About  two  miles  from  Granville  is  St.  Pair,  a 
pretty  little  bathing  place,  on  a  creek  or  bay,  with 
excellent  sands,  and  much  frequented  in  the  summer. 

Avranches,  a  few  miles  from  the  coast,  but  with  a 
fine  view  over  the  sea  and  opposite  Mont  St.  Michel, 
is  a  favourite  resort,  and  has  many  English  residents. 

Cancale  is  three  hours  by  sea  from  Granville,  across 
the  bay  of  St.  Michel.  It  is  celebrated  for  its  rocks 
and  its  oysters,  and  is  beautifully  situated  on  the  east 
of  the  fine  bay  of  Cancale,  at  an  elevation  from  which 
a  grand  panorama  is  commanded.  To  the  south  of 


54$      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

the  town  is  the  port  named  La  Houle  ;  this  is  in- 
habited almost  exclusively  by  the  oyster  fishers. 
The  view  from  this  port  comprises  not  only  the 
whole  of  the  bay,  but  also,  in  the  distance,  Mont  St. 
Michel  and  Mont  Dol. 

St.  Malo  is  about  six  miles  from  Cancale.  There 
are  steamers  twice  a  week  to  and  from  Jersey,  in 
about  three  hours.  The  town  is  built  on  a  peninsula, 
connected  by  a  causeway  with  the  mainland.  The 
situation  is  very  picturesque,  and  the  town  and  its 
neighbourhood  present  many  objects  of  interest  to  the 
visitors.  It  is  much  frequented  for  its  sea  baths,  as 
well  as  for  the  beauty  and  interest  of  its  surroundings. 
The  beach,  which  is  covered  with  fine  sands,  descends 
gently  to  the  sea.  From  the  terraces  of  the  Casino 
fine  views  are  obtained. 

It  is  a  most  attractive,  healthy,  and  pleasant  sea- 
side resort  in  summer. 

Dinard  is  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  estuary  of 
the  Ranee  to  St.  Malo,  and  a  steam-ferry  plies  hourly 
between  them.  The  sea  bathing  here  is  good,  and 
some  prefer  it  as  a  residence  to  St.  Malo. 

It  is  only  about  fourteen  miles — steamers  make  the 
journey  by  river — to  the  most  romantically  situated 
town  of  Dinan,  amidst  the  most  beautiful  scenery  in 
Brittany.  Numbers  of  English  families  are  settled 
there. 

The  Channel  Islands  (49°  10'— 49°  42'  N.  lat), 
belonging  to  Great  Britain,  lie  at  a  short  distance  off 
this  part  of  the  Norman  coast.  Jersey  is  only 
fourteen  miles  distant.  They  are  usually,  however, 
approached  from  Southampton  (133  miles)  or  Wey- 
mouth  (95  miles).  Those  who  do  not  dread  a 
long  and  boisterous  Channel  passage  may  find  at 
Jersey  (St.  Helier's)  or  Guernsey  (St.  Peter's  Port)  a 
milder  and  more  equable  winter  climate  than  any- 
where on  the  English  coast,  while  in  the  fine 
weather  of  summer  the  air  is  somewhat  cooler,  and 
these  islands  offer  many  attractions  to  visitors. 

The  climate  of  these  islands  is  a  decidedly  marine 


PA  1MPOL—ROSCOFF.  547 

one — moist  and  equable — but  much  exposed  to  winds. 
Vegetation  is  very  luxuriant,  and  bears  witness  to  a 
genial  and  moist  climate.  The  mean  temperature  for 
the  winter  season  is  43°  F.  The  islands  get  more 
sunshine  than  the  sunniest  of  our  coast  resorts. 
Their  mean  relative  humidity  is  high,  from  82  to 
89  per  cent.  ;  the  mean  annual  rainfall,  32  to  34  in., 
with  170  to  1 80  rainy  days.  The  wrinds  are  usually 
from  the  south-west  or  west,  but  in  the  spring  north 
and  north-east  winds  make  themselves  unpleasantly 
felt.  The  climate  is  said  to  favour  growth  in  the 
young  and  promote  longevity  in  the  aged ;  to  be 
useful  for  scrofulous  children,  for  cases  of  torpid 
phthisis  in  adults,  and  for  aged  persons  with  bronchial 
catarrh,  who  find  themselves  more  comfortable  in  a 
mild,  moist  climate  than  in  a  dry  one  ;  but  in  winter 
the  rough  Channel  passage  is  a  serious  drawback  ! 

Paimpol,  Treguier,  Roscoff,  are  three  small  towns 
on  the  coast  of  Brittany,  situated  in  the  midst  of 
romantic  land  and  coast  scenery  and  associations, 
near  the  mouth  of  the  Channel,  too  much  out  of  the 
"  beaten  track  "  ever  to  become  popular  resorts.  The 
climate  of  Roscoff  is  exceptionally  equable,  as  it  is 
much  under  the  influence  of  winds  from  the  sea, 
in  consequence  of  which  the  soil  is  of  extraordinary 
fertility,  and  early  fruits  and  vegetables  are  sent  from 
Roscoff  in  abundance  to  Paris  and  to  the  English  and 
Dutch  ports. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  whole  Depart- 
ment of  Finistere  is  much  exposed  to  storms  from  the 
Atlantic,  which  bring  a  large  rainfall,  and  at  times  a 
good  deal  of  mist  and  fog. 

Before  passing  round  to  the  west  or  Atlantic  coast 
of  France,  we  must  complete  our  review  of  seaside 
resorts  on  the  coasts  nearer  and  opposite  to  our  owfn, 
viz.,  those  to  the  north  of  the  Straits  of  Dover,  on  the 
coasts  of  Belgium  and  Holland.  These  somewhat 
resemble  in  their  climate  the  resorts  on  our  own  east 
coast.  They  are  generally  dryer  and  more  bracing 
than  those  further  west,  and  have  a  less  equable 


548      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

climate  ;  they  are  quite  out  of  the  reach  and  influence 
of  the  warmer  Atlantic  winds  and  currents,  and  the 
continental  winds  which  blow  from  the  east  and 
north-east  are  colder  in  winter  and  spring,  and 
warmer  in  summer  and  autumn,  than  they  are  further 
west. 

Between  Dunkirk  and  Ostend,  and  but  a  short 
distance  from  the  latter,  is  Nieuport  Bains,  with  a  fine 
sandy  beach  and  excellent  sea  bathing.  It  is  rising 
in  importance  as  a  seaside  resort,  and  deserves  a  visit 
from  those  who  think  Ostend  too  fashionable  and  ex- 
pensive. Other  still  small  but  pleasant  resorts  are 
Middle  Kerke  and  Maria  Kerke. 

Ostend  is  one  of  the  most  popular  seaside  resorts 
in  Europe,  commending  itself  to  persons  of  nearly  all 
nationalities  who  require  good  sea  bathing  in  fine 
bracing  air.  The  mean  temperature  in  July  is  64*8°  F. 
as  compared  with  60-5°  F.  at  Brighton.  The  sands 
of  Ostend  are  very  extensive,  and  every  facility  for 
sea  bathing  is  afforded  there.  Being  so  popular  and 
fashionable,  it  is  consequently  a  very  expensive  resort, 
and  only  suited  to  persons  who  can  afford  to  be  some- 
what indifferent  to  the  cost  of  accommodation. 

There  are  abundant  amusements  provided,  and  its 
undoubted  character  as  a  resort  of  pleasure  distinctly 
detracts  from  its  value  as  a  health  resort. 

Blankenberghe,  near  Bruges,  about  eleven  miles  to 
the  east  of  Ostend,  on  the  Belgian  coast,  has  a  finer 
seaside  promenade  than  Ostend,  and  even  more  ex- 
tensive sands  ;  and  it  had,  at  one  time,  the  advantage 
of  affording  a  quieter  life  and  more  simplicity  than 
its  fashionable  neighbour,  but  it  has  now  become  very 
nearly  as  gay  and  costly  as  Ostend. 

Heyst,  only  five,  and  Knocke,  seven  miles  further 
east,  afford  quite  as  good  sea  bathing  as  either  of  the 
preceding  resorts,  while  the  life  at  them  is  much 
more  quiet  and  simple.  The  summer  climate  at 
these  Belgian  resorts  is  rather  more  bracing  and  dryer 
than  on  our  own  south  coast. 

Scheveningen,  three  miles  from  The  Hague,  on  the 


NORTH    SEA    RESORTS.  549 

coast  of  Holland,  has  many  attractions.  The  hotel 
accommodation  is  good.  The  sea  view  is  very  fine, 
and  the  extensive  sands  are  beautifully  white  and 
clean  and  afford  the  most  admirable  sea  bathing. 
"  The  gently-sloping  beach  makes  it  a  paradise 
for  children."  The  air  has  been  described  as  "fine 
and  elastic,  with  a  softness  in  it  which  makes  it 
delicious."  The  mean  midday  temperature  in  July 
is  69-8°  F. 

It  is  certainly  an  advantage  at  Scheveningen  that 
the  most  interesting  places  of  this  interesting  country, 
the  picture  galleries,  the  antiquities,  and  the  many 
objects  of  interest,  are  within  easy  reach.  The  Hague, 
with  its  deer-park  and  promenades,  its  picturesque 
buildings,  its  galleries,  its  canals,  is  within  two  or 
three  miles.  It  is  only  twenty  minutes  from  The 
Hague  to  Delft ;  it  is  a  short  hour  from  Scheveningen 
to  Haarlem,  and  twenty  minutes  from  Haarlem  to 
Amsterdam. 

Zandvoort,  north  of  Scheveningen,  and  distant 
twenty  minutes  by  rail  from  Haarlem,  is  a  smaller, 
recently  developed  seaside  resort.  Close  to  Haarlem 
is  a  beautiful  spot  Bloemendaal,  with  a  new  resort 
Duin-en-Dal,  separated  from  the  coast  by  high  dunes 
or  sand  hills. 

There  are  many,  more  or  less  popular,  seaside 
resorts  on  the  German  coasts  of  the  North  Sea,  with 
good  sea  bathing  and  fine,  bracing,  tonic  sea  air. 

Some  of  these  are  small  islands  in  the  North  Sea 
near  the  mainland,  as  Borkum,  Norderney,  Baltrum, 
and  Wangeroog ;  Heligoland,  ceded  by  England  to 
Germany,  forty-six  miles  from  the  mouth  of  the 
Elbe  ;  and  some  are  on  the  adjacent  coast,  as 
Cuxhaven,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Elbe,  Busum,  Dangast, 
Wilhelmshaven,  and  others. 

Westerland,  in  Sylt,  one  of  the  Schleswig  Islands, 
is  a  favourite  resort  of  North  Germans. 

Heligoland  is  much  frequented,  and  is  connected 
by  regular  steam  communication  with  Hamburg  and 


550      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Bremen.  It  consists  of  a  sand-stone  rock,  a  portion 
of  which,  the  foreland,  is  level,  and  another  portion 
elevated,  the  latter  being  reached  by  an  ascent  of 
nearly  200  steps. 

Heligoland,  being  a  small  island,  has  the  advantage 
of  presenting  an  entirely  insular  or  sea  climate,  almost 
as  completely  so  as  in  a  ship  anchored  out  at  sea. 
From  whatever  quarter  the  wind  may  blow  it  must 
come  over  sea.  Much  the  same  applies  to  the  island 
of  Norderney.  This  island  is  very  accessible,  being 
only  about  half  an  hour  from  the  mainland.  It  has 
an  establishment  for  warm  seabaths  and  a  large 
marine  sanatorium  for  poor,  feeble,  and  scrofulous 
children.  The  mean  temperature  in  July  is  60*2°  F. 

There  are  several  seaside  resorts  on  the  German 
coast  of  the  Baltic,  which  do  not  possess  much 
interest,  except  for  those  who  live  within  easy  reach 
of  them.  As  sea  bathing  places  they  have  this 
peculiarity,  that  the  water  contains  very  little  salt. 
At  some  the  water  contains  less  than  one-third  the 
amount  of  salt  contained  in  the  Atlantic.  The 
presence  of  brine  springs  in  many  of  these  resorts 
allows  of  the  preparation  of  "  Sool  "  baths,  which 
may  take  the  place  of  sea  baths.  The  chief  of  these 
are  : 

Travemtinde,  which  is  conveniently  near  to 
Liibeck,  and  has  beautiful  shady  walks. 

Heiligen  Damm,  close  to  Doberan,  in  Meck- 
lenburg-Schwerin. 

Warnemiinde,  the  port  of  Rostock;  it  has  fine 
white  sands,  but  lacks  shade. 

Sassnitz,  with  fine  forests  close  at  hand,  is  finely 
situated  on  the  island  of  Ruegen,  where  there  are 
many  other  resorts. 

Heringsdorf  and  Swinemiinde,  on  the  island  of 
Usedom,  are  conveniently  near  Stettin. 

Heringsdorf  is  very  fashionable,  and  is  said  to  bs 
the  "  Ostend  of  the  Baltic." 

Misdroy  and  Berg-Dievenon  are  also  not  far  from 
Stettin. 


BALTIC    RESORTS.  551 

Kolberg  and  Ragenwalde  lie  further  east. 

Zoppot  and  Westerplatte  are  popular  resorts 
close  to  Danzig. 

Kranz,  near  Konigsberg,  is  the  most  easterly  of 
German  Baltic  resorts. 

The  mean  July  temperature  at  Swinemunde  is 
63*3°  Fv  and  this  may  be  taken  as  typical  of  the 
region.  The  climate  is  less  bracing  and  less  windy 
than  that  of  the  North  Sea  coast.  The  Baltic  is  a 
non-tidal  sea,  and  is  liable  to  be  frozen  in  the  winter. 

These  are  excellent  cool  summer  resorts,  most  of 
them  in  the  neighbourhood  of  beautiful  forests,  but 
with  little  that  can  be  called  truly  "  marine  "  in  their 
climate. 

Returning  now  to  the  west  or  Atlantic  coast  of 
Brittany  and  France,  we  find  there  several  summer 
sea  bathing  stations.  The  first  we  come  to  after 
passing  Brest  is  Douarnenez,  usually  reached  from 
Ouimper,  from  which  it  is  distant  fourteen  or  fifteen 
miles.  It  is  pleasantly  situated  on  a  fine  bay  of  the 
same  name.  Its  chief  industry  is  catching  and  pre- 
serving sardines.  The  beauty  of  its  bay  attracts  a 
certain  number  of  bathers  in  the  season,  but  the 
baths  are  situated  in  the  hamlet  of  Riz,  more  than  a 
mile  from  the  town. 

Some  twelve  miles  from  Douarnenez  is  Audierne, 
on  an  extensive  bay,  which  is  much  exposed  to  the 
fury  of  the  Atlantic  gales.  Its  shores  are  of  fine  sand, 
with  a  few  small  scattered  rocks,  and  afford  good 
bathing  in  .calm  weather.  The  spot  has  the  most 
sublime  grandeur,  not  surpassed  by  any  scene  of  the 
kind  in  France,  and  bearing  comparison  with  the  sea- 
cliffs  on  the  west  coast  of  Ireland  and  the  precipices 
of  a  Norwegian  fjord.  The  sea  around  is  almost 
always  tempest-tossed,  and  the  shore  of  the  Baie  des 
Trepasses,  so  called  from  the  number  of  dead  bodies 
washed  upon  it,  is  perpetually  covered  with  wrecks. 

Some  few  miles  further  south,  in  a  rather  deep 
indentation  of  the  coast,  is  Concarneau,  a  town  the 


552      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

inhabitants  of  which  are  devoted  to  the  sardine 
fishery  ;  but  its  chief  point  of  interest  is  the  posses- 
sion of  a  great  aquarium  and  marine  laboratory  for 
the  study  of  marine  natural  history,  which  is  open  to 
all  comers  who  are  interested  in  this  branch  of  natural 
science.  The  situation  is  a  fine  one. 

Le  Croisic,  situated  on  a  point  of  this  coast  just 
before  we  reach  the  mouth  of  the  Loire,  is  a  popular 
resort  in  summer  for  sea  bathing  and  for  its  fine  sea 
air.  It  has  the  usual  Etablissement  des  Bains,  and 
several  lodging-houses. 

There  are  two  beaches  from  which  baths  are 
taken,  one  close  to  the  Etablissement,  and  another 
about  half  a  mile  distant.  The  rocks  of  the  adjacent 
shore  are  worn  into  most  curious  and  fantastic  shapes, 
and  are  well  worth  visiting. 

Many  interesting  excursions  can  be  made  from 
Le  Croisic. 

Pornic,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Loire,  on  the 
opposite  side  to  Croisic,  and  on  the  shore  of  the  Bay 
of  Biscay,  is  prettily  situated,  and  has  some  interesting 
objects  in  the  neighbourhood.  Steps  cut  in  the  rock 
connect  the  upper  with  the  lower  part  of  the  town. 
It  is  much  resorted  to  as  a  sea  bathing  place  by  the 
inhabitants  of  the  adjacent  city  of  Nantes. 

Les  Sables  d'Olonne  and  La  Tremblade  are  also 
frequented  summer  resorts  on  this  coast.  A  little 
further  south  is 

Royan,  situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Gironde, 
where  it  pours  its  waters  into  the  Atlantic.  It  is 
a  small  seaport  town  twenty-seven  miles  from 
Rochefort.  It  has  a  bathing  establishment,  and  is 
much  resorted  to  in  the  summer  for  sea  baths.  The 
surrounding  country  is  flat  and  uninteresting. 

Arcachon  is  a  popular  summer  resort  for  sea  bath- 
ing, especially  for  the  inhabitants  of  Bordeaux  and  the 
neighbourhood,  from  which  it  is  distant  about  thirty- 
five  miles.  It  is  situated  on  the  south  shore  of  a  large 
land-locked  basin  or  inlet  from  the  Bay  of  Biscay. 
This  is  the  Bassin  d' Arcachon,  which  communicates 


SPANISH    AND    ITALIAN    RESORTS.         553 

with  the  open  sea  by  a  channel  about  two  miles  wide 
that  runs  for  some  miles  in  a  southerly  direction 
before  it  opens  westward  into  the  bay.  This  pro- 
tected basin  with  its  shelving  beach  affords  a  con- 
venient place  for  sea  bathing,  especially  for  families, 
as  some  of  the  houses  facing  it  have  gardens  running 
down  to  the  beach,  and  protection  from  the  Atlantic 
rollers  makes  bathing  much  safer  than  at  Biarritz. 

The  merits  of  Arcachon  as  a  winter  resort  will  be 
dealt  with  in  a  subsequent  chapter,  as  also  those  of 
Biarritz.  It  is  only  necessary  to  say  now  that 
Biarritz  is  a  very  popular  bathing  station,  and  is 
thronged  with  Spanish  visitors  during  the  hot  months 
of  summer.  It  is  too  hot  to  be  attractive  to  those 
who  live  further  north. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  do  more  than  mention  the 
sea  bathing  resorts  on  the  coast  of  the  Spanish 
peninsula,  for  they  are  only  of  local  interest,  and 
although  they  may  appear  as  comparatively  cool 
retreats  to  those  who  live  in  the  adjacent  inland 
towns,  they  are  far  too  hot  in  summer  to  be  healthful 
or  attractive  to  other  European  visitors.  The  coolest 
of  these  resorts  are  those  on  the  Spanish  coast  of  the 
Bay  of  Biscay,  as  they  are  the  furthest  north  and 
have  a  northern  aspect.  The  chief  of  these  are  San 
Sebastian,  Santander,  and  Corunna.  On  the  coast  of 
Portugal  there  are  Oporto  and  Lisbon  ;  -on  the  Medi- 
terranean coast  of  Spain,  Cartagena,  Alicante,  Valencia, 
and  Barcelona. 

Sea  bathing  can  be  had  at  nearly  all  the  coast 
towns  of  the  French  and  Italian  Riviera.  Via  Reggia, 
between  Spezia  and  Leghorn,  is  said  to  be  better 
adapted  than  many  of  them  for  this  purpose  owing  to 
the  adjacency  of  large  pine- woods  affording  shade 
and  shelter  from  the  sun's  heat. 

Bathing  on  the  Lido  is  very  popular  during  the 
summer  months  with  vast  numbers  of  the  inhabitants 
of  the  inland  towns  in  central,  eastern,  and  south- 
eastern Europe,  who  come  to  Venice  and  other  ports 
on  the  Adriatic  for  this  purpose. 


554      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Trieste  also  has  a  fine  sandy  beach,  and  is 
greatly  frequented  for  sea  baths  during  June,  July, 
and  August. 

This  completes  our  survey  of  fairly  accessible  sea- 
side resorts  at  home  and  abroad.  Many  minor  resorts 
of  merely  local  interest  have  not  been  mentioned, 
but  none  have  been  passed  over  that  can  claim  any 
great  attractiveness  or  usefulness  to  visitors  from 
other  countries.  Many  southern  health  resorts 
especially  adapted  to  winter  residence  will  be  con- 
sidered in  the  chapter  on  Winter  Quarters,  and  also 
in  that  on  the  Western  Riviera. 


CHAPTER  V. 
MOUNTAIN   CLIMATIC   RESORTS. 

ST.  MORITZ    AND    THE    EXGADINE — DAVOS    PLATZ,    AND    THE 
MOUNTAIN-AIR    CUKE    FOR    CONSUMPTION. 

IT  is  fit  that  we  should  commence  our  survey  of 
mountain  climates  and  mountain  resorts  with  the 
familiar  resorts  of  the  Upper  Engadine  and  Davos  ; 
for  not  only  are  they  of  great  practical  importance  to 
us  from  their  therapeutic  value  and  their  accessibility, 
but  also  because  they  were  the  first  resorts  to  call 
forth  that  great  interest  in  the  curative  and  restorative 
action  of  mountain  air  which  is  now  so  universal. 

Si.  Moritz. 

The  medical  interest  of  English  physicians  in 
St.  Moritz  was  at  first  chiefly  centred  in  its  chalybeate 
springs,  and  it  was,  perhaps,  hardly  realised  then 
how  great  a  share  in  the  good  results  obtained  from 
the  course  of  mineral  waters  and  baths  was,  in 
reality,  due  to  the  invigorating  effects  of  the  pure  and 
tonic  mountain  air. 

Germans,  Swiss,  and  Italians  had  long  known  of 
the  virtues  of  its  waters  or  of  its  mountain  air,  or  of 
both  together,  and  annually  came  in  considerable 
numbers  to  go  through  the  regulation  cure  ;  but  a 
book  by  Mrs.  Freshfield,  entitled  "  A  Summer  Tour 
in  the  Grisons,  and  in  the  Italian  Valleys  of  the 
Bernina,"  which  was  published  in  1862,  was  one  of 
the  first  publications  which  drew  the  attention  of 
English  tourists  to  the,  at  that  time,  unfrequented 
upper  valley  of  the  Inn. 

Somewhat  later  H.  Weber  called  attention  to  the 
good  results  obtained  in  the  treatment  of  phthisis 
at  these  altitudes. 

St.  Moritz  is  the   highest  village  in   the  Upper 


556      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Engadine,  and  the  projecting  ridge  of  rock  upon 
which  it  is  built  is  on  this  account  termed  the 
Engadiner  Kulm.  The  highest  part,  where  the  Kulm 
Hotel  stands,  is  placed  at  an  altitude  of  6,100  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  sea,  the  general  bed  of  the 
valley  being  about  300  feet  lower.  Green  meadows 
slope  from  the  village  to  the  north-west  shore  of  the 
beautiful  little  lake,  the  St.  Moritzer  See,  which 
stretches  across  the  valley  to  the  wooded  foot  of 
the  Piz  Rosatsch,  a  huge  mountain  mass,  which  rises 
steeply  on  the  opposite  shore  of  the  lake,  its  base 
covered  with  larch  and  pine  trees,  and  its  summit 
overhung  by  a  great  glacier  mass. 

Behind  St.  Moritz,  to  the  north-west,  rises  the  Piz 
Nair,  a  mountain  very  easily  ascended  ;  and  con- 
tinuous with  this,  towards  Samaden,  rise  the  neigh- 
bouring summits  of  Piz  Padella  and  Piz  Ot.  In  the 
opposite  direction,  towards  Campfer,  is  seen  the 
triangular  pyramidal  summit  of  the  Piz  Munteratsch, 
a  mountain  which  rises  on  the  eastern  side  of  the 
Julier  Pass. 

The  village  of  St.  Moritz  is  built  in  an  irregular, 
scrambling  way,  along  the  hillside,  with  narrow 
streets  and  a  terribly  rough  and  jolty  pavement. 
The  springs  and  Kurhaus  are  about  a  mile  from  the 
village  ;  an  electric  tram  connects  them. 

One  of  the  chief  characteristics  of  the  climate  of 
the  Upper  Engadine  is  very  sudden  and  great  diurnal 
variations  of  temperature.  The  thermometric  varia- 
tions, in  the  same  day,  are  often  so  very  considerable 
that,  in  summer,  a  temperature  below  freezing-point 
will  be  registered,  and  on  the  same  day  a  temperature 
of  from  40°  to  50°  above  freezing-point ;  while  a 
westerly  wind  in  the  winter  will  sometimes  cause  the 
thermometer  to  mount  from— 13°  F.  to  +  42°  F.  ! 
— a  range  of  55°.  These  sudden  changes  are  ad- 
mitted by  the  resident  physicians  to  induce,  even  in 
the  acclimatised,  attacks  of  inflammation  of  the  lungs, 
of  pleurisy,  of  chronic  rheumatism,  and  of  catarrhal 
fever,  if  they  are  not  carefully  guarded  against. 


THE    UPPER    ENGADINE.  557 

The  early  morning  is  generally  cold  and  damp,  as 
there  is  a  heavy  dew-fall ;  but  the  damp  fogs  which 
are  common  in  the  lower  Swiss  valleys  are  almost  un- 
known at  this  great  elevation.  The  midday  is  often 
very  hot,  as  the  sun's  rays  act  very  powerfully,  owing 
to  the  perfect  clearness  of  the  sky,  and  the  dia- 
thermacy  of  the  air.  The  evenings  again  are  cold  ; 
but  on  some  few  nights  in  the  height  of  summer, 
when  the  south  wind  comes  over  the  mountain-passes 
from  the  plains  of  Italy,  the  air  becomes  positively 
warm. 

Speaking  generally,  there  is  in  the  Engadine  a 
short  and  temperate  summer,  and  a  long  and  very 
cold  winter.  Formerly,  owing  no  doubt  to  the 
occurrence  from  time  to  time  of  excessively  cold 
seasons,  very  exaggerated  ideas  were  current  as  to 
the  cold  of  the  Upper  Engadine  in  summer,  and 
many  persons  brought  back  with  them  accounts  of 
the  rigour  of  its  summer  climate  which  a  longer  ex- 
perience could  not  fail  to  have  modified.  We  have 
known  invalids  who  have  passed  some  portion  of 
nearly  every  day  in  July  and  August  reclining  on  a 
couch  in  the  open  air.  Of  course  in  order  to  do  this 
it  was  necessary  to  wrap  up  warmly. 

From  a  series  of  meteorological  observations,  con- 
tinued over  many  years,  at  Bevers,  near  Samaden, 
by  M.  Krattli,  the  following  facts  have  been  taken  : 

The  mean  annual  temperature  of  the  Upper  En- 
gadine is  36*5°  F.  The  mean  for  the  three  summer 
months  of  June,  July,  and  August,  50*8°  F.  ;  for  the 
three  winter  months  of  December,  January,  and 
February,  17*5°  F.  ;  for  the  three  months  of  spring, 
March,  April,  and  May,  35-4°  F.  ;  for  the  three 
months  of  autumn,  September,  October,  and  Novem- 
ber, 37'S°  F.  The  two  extremes  of  temperature 
observed  by  M.  Krattli  were  -  25-8°  F.,  or  57-8°  F. 
of  frost  in  February,  and  79*7°  F.  in  July. 

In  November  and  December  there  are  occasion- 
ally thick  fogs,  but  the  three  first  months  of  the  year 
are  generally  calm  and  clear. 


558      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

For  five  months  in  the  year  the  snow  covers  the 
ground  to  the  depth  of  two  or  three  feet,  and  the 
lakes  are  covered  with  ice  several  feet  in  thickness  ; 
snow,  as  we  have  said,  occasionally  falls  in  summer. 
We  have  seen  the  valley  covered  with  a  foot  of 
snow  in  August  ! 

The  extreme  dryness  of  the  air  renders  the  cold 
in  winter  less  insupportable  than  it  otherwise  would 
be.  The  normal  barometric  pressure  is  considerably 
diminished,  owing  to  the  greater  rarity  of  the  air  at 
this  elevation  :  it  ranges  between  twenty-four  and 
twenty-five  inches. 

St.  Moritz  is  certainly  more  favourably  situated 
than  most  of  the  other  villages  of  the  Upper  Engadine ; 
it  is  sheltered  on  the  north  and  north-west  by  the 
Julier  chain  of  mountains,  and  on  the  east  by  a 
wooded  elevation  which  projects  as  a  spur  from  the 
mountains  at  the  back,  and  so  forms  the  eastern 
boundary  of  the  St.  Moritzer  See.  The  declivity 
upon  which  it  is  built  has  also  a  southern  aspect* ; 
but  the  drawback  to  nearly  the  whole  of  the  Engadine 
is  the  great  height  and  nearness  of  the  mountains 
bounding  it  to  the  south,  so  that  they  intercept  a 
great  deal  of  the  sun's  light  and  heat  during  some 
hours  of  the  day. 

Of  the  salubrity,  then,  of  the  climate  of  St.  Moritz 
in  summer  and  in  fine  weather,  there  can  be  no 
difference  of  opinion.  The  air  is  perfectly  pure,  clear, 
dry,  and  bracing.  There  is  an  absence  of  that 
oppressive  heat,  even  in  the  hottest  weather,  which 
makes  the  lower  valleys  almost  unendurable;  for 
wherever  there  is  shade  in  the  Engadine  there  is  also 
coolness.  The  freshness  of  the  air,  moreover,  induces 
an  increased  capacity  for  muscular  exertion,  and  the 
author  of  "The  Regular  Swiss  Round"  (the  late  Rev. 
Harry  Jones)  mentions  that  he  has  known  some 

*  Owing  to  the  favourable  position  of  the  Kulm  Hotel  its 
winter  temperature  is  many  degrees  higher  than  at  the  low- 
lying  Kurhaus. 


THE    UPPER    ENGADINE.  559 

people  come  there  "  who  have  been  so  indisposed  as 
to  feel  scarcely  able  to  make  the  journey  from  London 
to  Paris,  and  after  a  time  have  been  able  to  make  a 
twelve  hours'  excursion  on  the  glacier." 

This  statement  goes  more  to  the  root  of  the  matter 
than  the  writer  of  it  probably  thought  at  the  time 
he  penned  it,  for  this  kind  of  climate  is  especially 
useful  to  those  who  have  been  strong,  but  by  some 
accident  or  other,  such  as  over-work,  or  illness,  or 
trouble,  have  become  weak  :  to  those  who  possess  a 
latent  power  of  reaction.  It  is  less  advantageous  to 
the  essentially  weak  person,  to  whom  "  twelve  hours 
on  a  glacier  "  always  has  been,  is,  and  ever  will  be,  an 
utter  impossibility. 

Owing  to  the  want  of  this  power  of  reaction  the 
Engadine  does  not  suit  persons  advanced  in  )-ears, 
unless  they  retain  considerable  bodily  vigour. 

St.  Moritz  as  a  winter  resort  will  be  referred  to 
later  on.  Its  mineral  springs  and  their  uses  have 
been  described  in  Part  I. 

Other  Resorts  in  the  Upper  Engadine. 

What  is  most  characteristic  of  the  Upper 
Engadine  is  its  great  extent  as  well  as  its  great 
elevation.-  Nowhere  else  in  Europe  is  there  a  valley 
of  the  same  elevation,  and  of  the  same  magnitude, 
and  with  the  same  number  of  permanently  inhabited 
villages. 

There  are  nearly  thirty  miles  of  broad  valley 
and  good  level  carriage  road,  traversed  daily  in 
various  directions  by  postal  diligences,  and  now 
penetrated  by  a  railway,  at  an  average  elevation 
equal  to  that  of  the  Rigi  Kulm  ;  while  some  of  its 
villages  are  situated  at  an  elevation  of  over  6,000  feet 
above  the  sea.  The  direction  of  the  valley  is  from 
south-west,  where  it  commences  at  the  low  pass  of 
the  Maloja,  to  north-east,  where  it  terminates  in  the 
bridge  Punt  Auta ;  its  natural  boundary  is,  however, 
some  three  or  four  miles  east  of  this. 


560      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Just  beyond  St.  Moritz  a  ridge  crosses  the  valley 
leaving  only  a  narrow  gap  through  which  the  foaming 
waters  of  the  Inn  force  their  way  ;  this  forms  a  sort 
of  natural  division  of  the  Upper  Engadine  into  two 
portions,  which  differ  considerably  in  aspect  and 
character.  The  upper  half,  viz.  that  between  the 
Maloja  and  St.  Moritz,  is  narrower,  its  mountain 
boundaries  on  each  side  are  grander  and  wilder,  and 
much  loftier,  and  their  summits  are  covered  with 
extensive  glaciers  and  snow-fields  ;  while  the  floor  of 
the  valley  is  occupied  by  a  series  of  small  but  beautiful 
lakes  linked  together  by  the  stream  of  the  Inn,  which 
flows  through  them.  The  lower  half,  that  which 
extends  from  the  ridge  above  mentioned  to  the 
termination  of  the  Upper  Engadine,  has  a  very 
different  appearance.  Here  there  are  no  lakes,  the 
floor  of  the  valley  is  much  wider,  and  is  occupied  by 
broad  stretches  of  meadow-land,  through  which  the 
Inn  quietly  and  tamely  flows  along.  The  mountains 
on  each  side  are  of  lower  elevation,  they  all  rise  in 
gentle  slopes  from  the  floor  of  the  valley,  and  present 
no  bold  or  striking  features  of  form  or  outline. 

In  the  upper  half  of  the  valley,  viz.  between  the 
Maloja  Pass  and  the  Baths  of  St.  Moritz,  there  are, 
besides  the  well-known  Maloja  Kursaal,  three  well- 
known  villages  which  are  resorted  to  by  visitors  to 
this  district  in  the  summer  months  ;  these  are  Sils, 
Silva  Plana,  and  Campfer.  In  the  lower  half  of  the 
valley,  Cresta,  Celerina,  Samaden,  and  Pontresina  are 
the  only  villages  which  can  be  said  to  have  any 
vogue  as  resorts  for  strangers.  The  village  of  Zuz, 
has,  however,  developed  into  a  Luftkurort,  and  must 
therefore  be  reckoned  amongst  the  health  resorts  of 
the  Upper  Engadine. 

Sils. — This  is  one  of  the  most  characteristic  and 
picturesque  villages  in  the  Upper  Engadine ;  or 
rather  there  are  two  villages  of  that  name.  One,  in  a 
bleak  windy  situation  on  the  north  side  of  the  valley, 
is  called  Sils  Baseglia,  and  the  larger  and  better- 
built  village  is  termed  Sils  Maria — this  is  on  the 


THE    UPPER    ENGADINE.  561 

south  side  of  the  valley,  in  a  protected  situation,  at 
the  commencement  of  the  ravine  which  leads  into 
the  beautiful  Fex  valley. 

Sils  Maria  certainly  commands  some  of  the  finest 
views  in  the  Upper  Engadine.  The  Silser  See,  close 
to  which  it  is  built,  is  the  first  and  finest  of  the  lakes 
encountered  in  this  upper  part  of  the  valley,  and, 
indeed,  is  the  largest  lake  in  the  Alps  at  this  eleva- 
tion, being  three  miles  in  length,  and  a  mile  in  breadth 
at  its  broadest  part.  The  village  of  Sils  Maria  is 
5,880  feet  above  the  sea ;  it  is  clean  and  well  built, 
and  possesses  two  very  good  hotels.  It  is  especially 
well  adapted  to  those  who  desire  to  lead  a  very  quiet 
life,  as  it  is  far  away  from  the  more  frequented  spots, 
such  as  St.  Moritz,  Samaden,  and  Pontresina ;  and  as 
it  is  well  protected  from  the  prevailing  winds,  it 
serves  as  a  good  summer  station  for  cases  of  early 
phthisis  and  other  invalids. 

-  Numerous  pleasing  walks  and  excursions  into  the 
adjacent  Fex  valley,  and  to  many  picturesque  spots 
along  the  wooded  hills  which  adorn  the  southern 
shore  of  the  lake,  are  quite  within  the  powers  of 
invalids. 

Silva  Plana  is  a  village  of  considerable  size,  about 
three  miles  from  Sils  and  five  from  St.  Moritz.  It  is 
very  pleasantly  situated  at  the  foot  of  the  Julier  Pass, 
in  the  centre  of  the  lake  scenery  of  the  upper  part  of 
the  valley,  having  the  Silva  Plana  lake  on  one  side  of 
it  and  the  Campfer  lake  on  the  other. 

Many  families  pass  the  whole  summer  very 
pleasantly  and  comfortably  there,  and  so  avoid  the 
crowd  of  visitors  at  St.  Moritz  and  at  Pontresina. 
Silva  Plana  is  most  conveniently  situated  for  making 
many  of  the  popular  mountain  excursions  in  this 
district. 

Campfer  is  the  next  village  we  come  to,  and  is 
about  midway  between  Silva  Plana  and  St.  Moritz. 
Its  immediate  surroundings  are  exceedingly  pictur- 
esque, and  it  possesses  excellent  hotel  accommoda- 
tion, the  "  Julier "  hotel  being  a  favourite  with 


562      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

English  visitors.  It  is  a  convenient  abode  for  those 
visitors  to  the  Baths  of  St.  Moritz  who  desire  a  quiet 
residence  ;  it  is  as  near  the  Kurhaus  and  the  baths  as 
the  village  of  St.  Moritz  itself.  The  walk  through 
the  woods  on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  between 
Campfer  and  the  Kurhaus,  is  infinitely  preferable  for 
pedestrians  to  the  hot,  steep,  and  dusty  road  which 
leads  from  the  latter  to  the  village  of  St.  Moritz. 
The  wooded  and  grassy  mountain  slopes  around  the 
village  afford  facilities  for  quiet  rambles  which  are 
not  to  be  found  in  the  more  frequented  parts  of  the 
valley,  while  for  exploring  the  attractive  lake  region 
of  the  upper  part  of  the  valley,  it  is  far  more  con- 
veniently situated  than  St.  Moritz,  Samaden,  or 
Pontresina. 

Campfer  has  an  elevation  of  5,950  feet  above  the 
sea,  and  from  the  position  of  the  surrounding  moun- 
tain-ridges it  enjoys  considerable  protection  from  the 
prevailing  winds  ;  its  warm  and  sunny  situation,  and 
the  many  easily  accessible  walks  around,  rendering 
it  a  very  suitable  summer  station  for  invalids. 

Passing  now  to  the  lower  half  of  the  Upper 
Engadine  beyond  St.  Moritz,  the  first  village  we 
arrive  at  is  Cresta,  and  a  few  minutes  farther  on  we 
reach  the  village  of  Celerina,  to  which  parish  the 
adjacent  village  of  Cresta  belongs.  Celerina  is 
situated  about  midway  between  St.  Moritz  and 
Samaden,  where,  at  present,  is  the  terminus  of  the 
Engadine  Railway ;  but  between  St.  Moritz  and 
Celerina  we  have  to  descend  in  steep  zigzags  the  high 
ridge  which  here  stretches  across  the  valley  and  forms 
a  natural  protection  to  St.  Moritz  from  the  north- 
east. Beyond  Celerina  the  valley  continues  at  an 
almost  unbroken  level  to  its  termination.  These  two 
villages,  Cresta  and  Celerina,  look  particularly  neat, 
with  their  limewashed  walls,  green  shutters,  hand- 
some old  doorways,  and  windows  filled  with  flowers. 
Celerina  is  5,600  feet  above  the  sea,  rather  more  than 
400  feet  lower  than  St.  Moritz  Kulm. 

Samaden,  the    capital    of  the   Engadine,  rather 


SAMADEN—PONTRESINA.  563 

more  than  three  miles  from  St.  Moritz,  is  situated 
just  at  the  spot  where  the  Upper  Engadine  begins  to 
be  almost  ugly.  It  has  a  certain  prestige  as  the 
capital  of  the  valley,  and  as  the  largest  and  most 
central  village  in  it.  It  has  long  served  also  as  a  kind 
of  reservoir  for  the  reception  of  the  stream  of  visitors 
waiting  for  accommodation  at  Pontresina  and  St. 
Moritz,  being  about  equi-distant  from  both. 

There  is  one  fine  view  from  Samaden,  and  that  is 
the  view  of  the  snow-clad  summits  of  the  Bernina 
group,  which  is  well  seen  from  the  terrace  of  the 
salle-a-manger  of  the  Bernina  Hotel. 

There  are  many  pleasant  and  invigorating  walks 
along  the  meadows  which  cover  the  lower  slopes  of 
the  mountains,  on  the  north  side  of  the  valley,  between 
Samaden  and  Celerina  ;  and  on  a  warm  summer 
day,  when  the  high  road  is  exceedingly  hot,  dusty, 
and  fatiguing,  the  cool  air  on  these  grassy  slopes, 
where  there  are  good  paths,  300  or  400  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  valley,  is  often  very  refreshing  and 
grateful.  The  mountain-paths  along  these  alps, 
between  Celerina  and  Samaden,  form  one  of  the 
pleasantest  walks  in  the  Upper  Engadine ;  the 
bracing  character  of  the  air  there  being  particularly 
noticeable.  There  are  also  pleasant  walks  through 
the  pine-woods,  on  the  same  side  of  the  valley,  but 
in  the  other  direction,  viz.  towards  Bevers. 

But  the  most  popular  and  interesting  excursion 
from  Samaden  is  that  to  the  Bevers  valley,  at  the 
entrance  to  which  trie  village  of  Bevers  is  situated. 
This  valley  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  and 
beautiful  of  the  whole  of  this  region.  Samaden  is 
nearly  5,700  feet  above  the  sea. 

Pontresina,  the  most  frequented  of  Engadine 
villages,  lies  about  three  miles  from  Samaden, 
along  the  road  which  turns  to  the  south-west 
and  goes  to  the  Bernina  Pass.  Its  situation 
is  exceedingly  picturesque,  'and  it  possesses  several 
excellent  hotels.  It  is  about  5,900  feet  above  the 
sea.  It  is,  moreover,  the  most  convenient  station  for 


564      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

exploring  the  high  mountains,  the  valleys,  and  the 
glaciers  of  this  portion  of  the  Upper  Engadine.  It  is 
close  to  the  foot  of  Piz  Languard,  the  Rigi  of  the 
Engadine,  and  it  is  about  an  hour  nearer  the  glaciers 
of  the  Morteratsch  and  the  Roseg  than  either  St. 
Moritz  or  Samaden.  It  has  been  said  to  have  a  milder 
climate  than  St,  Moritz.  From  its  situation,  in  a 
wide  open  space,  at  the  junction  of  two  lateral  valleys 
with  the  main  one,  it  is  much  exposed  to  the  direct 
rays  of  the  sun  for  many  hours  during  the  day  ;  and 
around  and  near  the  village  the  sun-heat  is  sometimes 
great.  But  for  the  same  reasons  it  is  to  be  expected 
that  the  nocturnal  cold  would  be  greater  than  at  St. 
Moritz,  and  it  is  so  situated  as  to  receive  directly  the 
cold  gusts  of  air  blowing  down  the  Roseg  valley. 

To  those  who  are  vigorous  enough  to  devote 
themselves  daily  to  mountain  and  glacier  excursions, 
Pontresina  is  undoubtedly  the  best  resort  in  the  Upper 
Engadine,  but  it  is  not  so  well  adapted  for  the 
quieter  life  of  an  invalid  as  some  of  the  other  resorts 
we  have  mentioned.  It  is  certainly  a  convenience, 
to  those  who  need  the  extremely  bracing  and  tonic 
influence  of  glacier  air,  to  be  tolerably  near,  as  one  is 
at  Pontresina,  to  so  large  and  accessible  a  glacier  as 
that  of  the  Morteratsch. 

Most  visitors  to  Pontresina  make  at  least  one 
excursion  to  the  hospice  on  the  summit  of  the 
Bernina  Pass,  a  drive  of  about  two  hours  ;  and  this 
hospice  has  been  occasionally  resorted  to  as  an  air 
cure  by  those  who  have  felt  that  they  needed  an 
extraordinary  and  exceptional  amount  of  bracing  !  It 
is  more  than  1,500  feet  higher  than  St.  Moritz  Kulm, 
and  the  air  is  there  wonderfully  keen  and  cold, 
especially  after  sunset.  For  quite  exceptional  cases 
and  exceptional  constitutions,  the  extremely  rigorous 
bracing  climate  of  the  Bernina  may,  for  a  time,  be 
suitable  ;  but  it  is  of  extremely  limited  applicability 
as  a  health  resort,  even  to  those  exceptional  cases. 

The  only  other  village  in  the  Upper  Engadine  that 
can  be  spoken  of  as  a  health  resort  is  the  village  of 


THE    LOWER    ENGADINE.  565 

Zuz,  about  eight  miles  below  Samaden.  it  has  about 
the  same  elevation  as  Samaden,  5,680  feet,  and  is 
raised  somewhat  above  the  floor  of  the  valley  at  this 
part.  The  scenery  around  is  pleasing. 

Tarasp-Bad,  is  the  only  place  of  any  great 
interest  in  the  Lower  Engadine.  Its  claims  as  a 
mineral-water  resort  have  been  dealt  with  in 
Part  I. 

Many  of  the  visitors  to  Tarasp  prefer  to  live  either 
at  Schuls,  the  principal  place  in  the  Lower  Engadine 
and  about  a  mile  from  the  Tarasp  Springs,  or  at  the 
Hotel  Waldhaus,  Vulpera,  situated  in  a  fine  position, 
several  hundred  feet  above  the  Kurhaus  on  the  right 
side  of  this  valley. 

As  to  the  climate  of  Tarasp  and  Vulpera.  This 
district,  situated  at  an  elevation  of  between  4,000  and 
4,500  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  possesses  all  the 
invigorating  characteristics  of  an  Alpine  climate,  while 
it  has  the  advantage  of  being  much  less  severe  and 
rigorous  than  that  of  the  Upper  Engadine.  There 
are  here  fewer  sudden  changes  of  temperature,  and  an 
unexpected  fall  of  snow  in  the  summer  months,  by  no 
means  an  uncommon  occurrence  at  St.  Moritz,  is  at 
Tarasp  quite  an  exceptional  event.  The  milder 
character  of  the  climate  is  indicated  by  the  much 
greater  luxuriance  of  vegetation  ;  rye  and  flax  are 
extensively  cultivated  in  this  district,  and  fruit-orchards 
flourish  near  Schuls,  while  the  local  flora  is  exceed- 
ingly rich  and  diversified. 

As  well  as  being  milder,  the  air  is  less  dry  and 
rarefied  than  in  the  Upper  Engadine. 

The  mean  atmospheric  temperature  in  the  months 
of  July  and  August  ranges  from  56°  to  60°  F.  The 
maximum  and  minimum  temperatures  noted  in  the 
same  months  were  82°  and  37*5°  F.  It  will  thus  be 
seen  that  the  climate  of  the  Tarasp  district  especially 
commends  itself  to  those  cases  in  which  it  is  thought 
desirable  to  try  the  influence  of  mountain  air,  without 
incurring  the  risk  of  exposure  to  the  sudden  changes  of 


566      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

temperature,  the  highly  rarefied  air,  and  often  the 
continuous  cold  of  the  Upper  Engadine. 

Also,  on  leaving  the  Upper  Engadine,  Vulpera 
offers  an  admirable  intermediate  point  where  patients 
may  break  the  suddenness  of  their  descent  into  the 
lower  lying  resorts  of  Italy,  Switzerland,  and  the  Tyrol. 

Davos  PlatZj  and  the   Mountain- Air  Cure  for 
Consumption. 

Davos  is  situated  in  a  mountain  valley  in 
the  Grisons,  which  run's  parallel  with  the  Upper 
Engadine,  at  a  distance  of  about  twenty  miles 
north  of  it.  It  is  about  5,070  (Davos  Dorf  Sana- 
torium) feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea.  But  it  is  not 
its  particular  elevation  alone  which  gives  to  Davos  its 
special  suitability  as  a  mountain  resort.  We  must 
seek  in  other  local  conditions  for  the  characteristic 
qualities  of  the  climate  of  Davos.  So  far  as  purity 
and  rarefaction  of  the  air  are  concerned,  it  is  in 
almost  precisely  the  same  position  as  the  adjacent 
Engadine  valley.  It  is  probably  only  in  the  greater 
stillness  of  its  atmosphere,  and  in  protection  from  the 
prevailing  local  winds,  that  Davos  presents  any 
special  advantages  in  winter  over  such  resorts  as  St. 
Moritz,  Pontresina,  or  Samaden.  Dr.  Frankland 
(Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society,  vol.  xxii.,  p.  317) 
writes : — 

The  summer  climate  of  Davos  is  very  similar  to  that  of 
Pontresina  and  St.  Moritz  in  the  neighbouring  high  valley  of 
the  Engadine — cool  and  rather  windy;  but  as  soon  as  the 
Priittigau  and  surrounding  mountains  become  thickly  and,  for 
the  winter,  permanently  covered  with  snow,  which  usually 
happens  in  November,  a  new  set  of  conditions  comes  into  play, 
and  the  winter  climate  becomes  exceedingly  remarkable.  The 
sky  is,  as  a  rule,  cloudless,  or  nearly  so ;  and  as  the  solar 
rays,  though  very  powerful,  are  incompetent  to  melt  the  snow, 
they  have  very  little  effect  upon  the  temperature  either  of  the 
valley  or  its  enclosing  mountains,  consequently  there  are  no 
currents  of  heated  air,  and  as  the  valley  is  well  sheltered  from 
more  general  atmospheric  movements,  an  almost  uniform  calm 
Prevails  until  the  snow  melts  in  spring. 


THE   DAVOS    VALLEY.  567 

And  the  late  Mr.  J.  A.  Symonds,  speaking  from  long 
personal  experience,  said  of  the  winter  climate  of 
Davos  : — 

The  position  of  great  rocky  masses  to  north  and  south  is 
such  that  the  most  disagreeable  winds,  whether  the  keen  north 
wind  or  the  relaxing  south,  known  by  the  dreaded  name  of 
fohn,  are  fairly  excluded.  Comparative  stillness  is  a  great 
merit  of  Davos  ;  the  best  nights  and  days  of  winter  present  a 
cloudless  sky,  clear  frost,  and  absolutely  unstirred  atmosphere. 
March  is  apt  to  be  disturbed  and  stormy,  and  during  the 
summer  months  there  is  a  valley-wind,  which  rises  regularly 
every  morning  and  blows  for  several  hours. 

The  direction  of  the  valley  is  from  north-east  to 
south-west.  It  is  only  about  half  a  mile  broad,  and 
protecting  mountains  rise  on  each  side  to  the  height  of 
from  2,000  to  5,000  feet  above  the  level  of  the  valley, 
About  three-quarters  of  a  mile  above  Davos  Platz,  to 
the  north,  is  Davos  Dorfli,  a  sunnier  spot  than  Davos 
Platz,  but  perhaps  not  so  well  protected  from  wind. 
Still  farther  north  is  the  Davoser  See,  or  the  Lake  of 
Davos,  which  affords  good  skating  in  winter  until  it 
becomes  too  thickly  covered  with  snow. 

At  the  south-west  extremity  the  valley  is  also  well 
protected  and  closed  in  by  high  mountains,  and  there 
are  no  extensive  glaciers  and  snow-fields  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  Davos  as  at  Pontresina. 

The  winter  snowfall  in  the  Davos  valley,  as  well 
as  in  the  Engadine,  usually  begins  early  in  November. 
An  early  and  heavy  snowfall  of  three  or  four  feet  is 
considered  to  promise  a  good  winter.  The  snow 
continues  to  fall  through  November  and  a  part  of 
December.  In  the  roadways  it  gets  beaten  down  to 
a  depth  of  three  or  four  feet.  In  good  seasons,  fine 
settled  weather,  with  absence  of  snowfall,  sets  in 
before  the  end  of  December.  The  atmosphere  be- 
comes still  and  calm,  the  air  intensely  cold  and  dry, 
and  absolutely  clear.  At  night  the  brilliant  starlight, 
or  the  cold  silvery  moonlight  streaming  over  the 
snow-mantled  valley,  gives  it  an  aspect  of  singular 
beauty.  The  temperature  at  night  often  falls  very 


568      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

low,  frequently  some  degress  below  zero.  The  days 
are  cloudless,  with  an  intensely  blue  sky,  and  an 
amount  of  heat  from  solar  radiation  which  enables 
invalids  to  pass  many  hours  sitting  in  the  open  air ; 
and  the  brilliancy  of  the  sunshine  in  mid- winter  makes 
umbrellas  and  sunshades  necessary  for  protection. 
The  instant,  however,  the  sun  is  withdrawn  the 
intense  coldness  of  the  air  makes  itself  felt,  and  a  fall 
of  50°  or  60°  F.  is  common  immediately  after  sunset. 
Of  course  all  delicate  invalids  should  be  indoors  before 
this  hour.  Owing,  however,  to  the  great  dryness  of 
the  atmosphere,  and  the  absence  of  wind,  the  extreme 
cold  at  night  is  by  no  means  so  much  felt  as  might 
be  expected.  "  There  are  no  patients,"  says  one  of 
the  local  physicians,  "  who  cannot,  if  they  are  so 
inclined,  sleep  with  safety  with  an  open  window 
during  the  winter."  Patients  are  advised  to  be  in  the 
open  air  from  sunrise  to  sunset. 

Unfortunately,  weather  at  Davos  is  fickle  some- 
times, as  it  is  elsewhere,  and  a  remarkably  fine  winter 
may  be  preceded  or  followed  by  a  remarkably  bad 
one,  and  a  really  bad  winter  will  often  prove  disas- 
trous to  many  invalids. 

The  relaxing  south  wind,  the  /ohn,  will  some- 
times prevail  to  a  great  extent,  in  consequence  of 
which  the  snow  is  thawed  at  times  in  mid-winter, 
and  colds,  which  are  rarely  caught  at  Davos,  are  then 
common.  In  really  good  winters,  however,  "  wonder- 
ful recoveries  "  are  numerous.  There  is  then  almost 
an  entire  absence  of  wind,  the  air  is  remarkably  dry 
and  bracing,  and  for  months  there  may  be  almost 
uninterrupted  sunshine  and  clear  unclouded  skies. 

Owing  to  the  absence  of  aqueous  vapour  in  the 
clear  dry  air  of  this  elevated  region,  the  intensity  of 
solar  radiation  on  perfectly  clear  days  is  remarkable  ; 
and,  according  to  Frankland,  at  Davos  Dorfli,  on  the 
2ist  December,  1873,  at  2.50  p.m.,  the  "mercurial 
thermometer  with  a  blackened  bulb  /;/  vacua" 
recorded  113°  F.,  and  on  the  same  day  at  Greenwich 
the  maximum  reading,  obtained  by  the  same  method, 


CLIMATE    OF    DAVOS.  569 

was  71*5°,  giving  a  difference  in  favour  of  Davos  of 
4 1 '5°  F.  But  a  maximum  of  solar  radiation  amount- 
ing to  153°  F.  was  obtained  on  the  3ist  January, 
1 88 1,  while  on  the  same  day  the  maximum 
temperature  of  the  air  in  the  shade  was  42*5°,  and 
the  minimum  18°  F.  So  that  the  difference  between 
sun  and  shade  temperature  is  enormous.  The  lowest 
temperature  recorded  during  the  winters  1879-80  and 
1 880-8 1  was  167°  F.  below  zero  on  9th  December, 
1879.  The  mean  daily  minimum  for  the  same  month 
was  5*5°  F.,  and  the  mean  daily  maximum  23 '13°.  The 
maximum  sun  temperature  138°  F.  This  was  during 
a  month  of  the  finest  Davos  winter  weather ;  the 
amount  of  aqueous  vapour  in  the  air  being  exceed- 
ingly small,  and  the  readings  of  the  hygrometer  very 
low. 

The  mean  winter  temperature  at  Davos  varies 
between  20°  and  30°  F. 

Davos  has  flourished  greatly  and  deservedly  as  a 
winter  resort  for  consumptives,  while  as  a  summer 
resort  its  manifold  attractions  have  not  met  with  the 
esteem  they  merit.  We  have  found  it  in  summer  a 
most  agreeable  residence,  and  preferable  to  many 
other  mountain  stations  for  its  quiet  restfulness. 

On  the  other  hand,  while  St.  Moritz  has  not 
become  the  great  winter  resort  for  the  phthisical  that 
Davos  has,  its  summer  renown  has  progressed 
uninterruptedly. 

St.  Moritz  has  been  tried  and  found  to  answer  ex- 
ceedingly well  as  a  winter  resort  in  a  certain  number  and 
class  of  cases.  No  doubt  it  is  not  so  well  suited  as  Davos 
to  the  feebler  class  of  pulmonary  invalids,  who  are 
also  the  victims  of  more  advanced  disease.  But  to 
many  of  the  stronger  patients,  and  to  those  in  whom 
the  disease  is  in  its  earliest  stage,  or  very  limited  in 
extent,  or  to  those  who  are  suffering  only  from 
general  loss  of  tone,  St.  Moritz  may  prove  as  useful, 
or  even  more  so  than  Davos.  Moreover,  at  the 
Kulm  and  other  hotels  at  St.  Moritz,  patients  will 
find  winter  sanatoria,  furnished  with  all  the 


5/0      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

conveniences  which  invalids  require,  and  no  effort  is 
spared  to  make  the  winter  life  of  an  invalid  cheerful 
and  comfortable.  The  Kulm  hotel  possesses  an 
excellent  covered  terrace  for  sitting  out,  and  a  skating- 
rink  is  also  close  at  hand. 

St.  Moritz  is  within  easy  reach  of  Davos,  so  that  a 
patient  who  finds  the  climate  of  the  Upper  Engadine 
unsuitable  can  easily  remove  to  the  Davos  valley. 
On  the  shortest  day  in  the  Engadine  the  sun  rises  at 
10.45  a.m.  and  sets  at  3  p.m.,  and  there  is  a  sudden 
chill  when  the  sun  goes  down. 

We  must  now  enter  into  a  little  detail  as  to  the 
treatment  of  consumptive  patients  in  these  high 
mountain  v  illeys. 

At  one  period  cases  of  phthisis  in  too  advanced 
a  stage  were  not  unfrequently  sent  to  winter  at  Davos 
or  St.  Moritz.  This  was  not  altogether  the  fault  of 
medical  men,  but  because  patients  with  advanced  dis- 
ease insisted  on  trying  a  cure  of  which  so  much  was 
being  said.  The  following  extract  from  a  letter  from  a 
medical  man  who  was  also  a  patient  at  Davos  at  that 
time  calls  attention  to  this  : — 

Among  the  twenty-five  to  thirty-five  guests  at  the  Hotel 

—  there  were  several  deaths,  some  of  them   people   who 

certainly  came  much  too  far  gone,  but  one  or  two  in  which  it 

seemed  that  the  peculiar  air  brought  on  an  increase  of  disease. 

After  giving  the  particulars  of  a  case  in  which  a 
severe  and  fatal  illness  appeared  to  have  been  induced 
by  "  the  exceptional  excitement,  etc.  of  the  climate," 
he  adds  : — 

Other  deaths  in  the  house  were  very  sudden,  and  I  knew  of 
some  cases  of  sudden  attacks  of  haemorrhage.  In  one  or  two 
cases  where  there  was  no  disease,  but  weakness  and  want  of 
stamina,  people  seemed  to  have  gained  considerably  when 
they  left.  I  am  sure  for  dyspepsia  the  climate  is  a  wonderful 
remedy. 

It  would  be  disingenuous  not  to  admit  the  fact 
that  other  experiences  of  winters  at  Davos  have  been 


ALTITUDE    CURE   FOR    CONSUMPTION.     571 

by  no  means  imchequered  by  calamities,  and  some 
fatal  occurrences  there  have  been  very  sad  and 
unexpected.  The  better  results  now  obtained  are 
certainly  to  a  great  extent  due  to  a  more  careful 
selection  of  cases,  to  the  existence  of  suitable 
sanatoria  and  to  the  acceptance  of  the  teaching 
that  the  altitude  cure  for  consumption  has  its 
limitations. 

The  success  which  has  been  obtained  in  recent 
years,  in  the  treatment  of  consumptives  in  sanatoria 
at  various  elevations,  and  in  many  countries,  em- 
phasises the  well-known  fact  that  immunity  from 
consumption  does  not  follow  any  particular  level  of 
elevation.  It  was  originally  thought  that  the  altitude 
of  immunity  from  phthisis  varied  in  various  latitudes, 
descending  in  proportion  as  we  passed  from  the 
equator  to  the  poles.  In  the  tropics  it  was  necessary 
to  ascend  to  an  elevation  of  between  8,500  and  9,000 
feet.  In  the  Peruvian  Andes  patients  were  sent  to 
mountain  valleys  reaching  an  altitude  of  nearly  10,000 
feet  In  Mexico  to  valleys  6,500  and  7,000  feet 
above  the  sea-level.  On  the  other  hand,  in  the 
Pyrenees,  we  w^ere  assured  that  at  elevations  varying 
from  1,760  feet  (Bagneres-de-Bigorre)  to  4,580  feet 
(Gavarnie)  phthisis  was  equally  rare. 

In  Switzerland  some  localities  not  more  than 
3,000  feet  above  the  sea  appeared  to  be  as  free  from 
phthisis  as  others  of  twice  that  elevation.  In  the 
Black  Forest  and  in  the  Harz  mountains  of  Germany, 
it  was  stated  that  consumption  was  extremely  rare  at 
the  comparatively  moderate  height  of  1,400  to  2,500 
feet ;  while  Brehmer  asserted  that  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  Gorbersdorf,  in  Silesia  (1,700  feet),  he  had 
never  seen  phthisis  among  the  inhabitants. 

These  statements  pointed  clearly  to  the  con- 
clusion that  the  freedom  which  any  particular  locality 
appeared  to  enjoy  from  this  disease  was  independent 
of  mere  elevation,  and  due  in  part  to  other  con- 
ditions, and  this  contention  has  received  remarkable 
confirmation  by  the  success  that  has  attended  the 


572      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

"  open  air  cure/'  when  carried  out  at  suitable  sana- 
toria at  home  and  abroad. 

We  know  that  the  air  of  large,  densely-populated 
cities  and  towns  is  filled  with  impurities,  both  organic 
and  inorganic,  and  doubtless  in  many  localities  this 
floating  dust  is  largely  composed  of  filthy  putrescent 
organic  matter,  or  infective  particles,  capable  under 
certain  circumstances  of  exciting  or  conveying  disease. 
It  is  amongst  those  who  have  to  live  in  the  worst 
parts  of  this  unwholesome  town  atmosphere  that 
phthisis  is  most  rife  and  fatal ;  and  therefore  to  the 
absence  of  these  impurities  in  the  air  of  elevated 
regions,  as  well  as  in  that  of  the  open  sea,  we  may 
reasonably  attribute  their  beneficial  influence  in 
preventing  or  arresting  tubercular  disease. 

M.  Miquel's  observations  at  the  Observatoire  de 
Montsouris  show  how  comparatively  free  the  air  is 
from  organic  impurities  over  extensive  tracts  of  water, 
as  well  as  at  great  elevations  ;  in  his  examinations  as 
to  the  presence  of  bacteria  in  the  air  he  found  none 
at  elevations  of  two  to  four  thousand  metres ;  he 
found  on  the  surface  of  a  small  lake  like  that  of  Thun, 
in  10  cubic  metres  8ao  bacteria  only  ;  on  the  shores 
of  the  lake  (near  the  Hotel  Bellevue)  25-0,  and  in  the 
Rue  de  Rivoli,  Paris,  55,000*0  ! 

Most  of  the  localities  which  enjoy  an  immunity 
from  tubercular  disease  of  the  lungs  are  characterised 
by  a  pure  and  dry  atmosphere,  a  dry  subsoil,  and  a 
scanty  population. 

And  it  has  been  shown  that  in  certain  favoured 
localities  in  our  own  country,  where  these  conditions 
of  dryness  of  subsoil,  thinness  of  population,  and 
purity  and  dryness  of  the  atmosphere  co-exist,  there 
also  the  occurrence  of  cases  of  phthisis  is  very  rare. 

If  consumption  be  a  disease  engendered  by  city 
life,  by  overcrowding,  by  breathing  a  damp  contami- 
nated atmosphere,  we  should  expect  it  to  disappear 
in  localities  where  all  these  conditions  are  reversed. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  enquire  briefly  into  the 
nature  of  the  evidence  which  was  originally  relied 


ALTITUDE    CURE   FOR   CONSUMPTION.    573 

upon  in  support  of  the  view  that  elevated  districts 
were  those  best  suited  to  phthisical  patients. 

Before  we  were  in  possession  of  all  the  evidence 
that  has  been  derived  from  the  results  of  the  past 
thirty  years'  experience  at  Davos  and  elsewhere,  the 
strongest  and  the  most  unequivocal  was  that  derived 
from  the  experience  of  medical  practitioners  resident 
in  the  large  towns  at  the  base  of  the  Peruvian  Andes, 
and  in  similar  tropical  stations. 

In  these  localities  consumption  is  very  rife,  and  it 
had  long  been  the  established  mode  of  treatment  there 
to  remove  the  patients  so  afflicted,  as  early  as  possible, 
to  one  or  other  of  those  sheltered  valleys  at  great 
elevations  which  the  slopes  of  the  Andes  afford  in 
abundance.  Dr.  Archibald  Smith,  of  Lima,  was  one 
of  the  first  to  call  the  attention  of  the  medical  pro- 
fession to  this  method  of  treatment.  He  stated  that 
in  the  Peruvian  Andes  immunity  from  phthisis  was 
commonly  observed  at  an  elevation  of  between  7,500 
and  8,500  feet.  No  plan  of  treatment  could  be  more 
rational  than  to  remove  the  consumptive  patient 
from  the  hot,  damp,  unwholesome  atmosphere  of  the 
densely-populated  town  in  which  he  had  been 
attacked,  to  the  pure,  clear,  dry,  invigorating  air  of 
the  adjacent  mountain  valleys.  It  is  very  well  known 
that,  in  temperate  climates,  some  moderately  elevated 
regions  enjoy  a  greater  immunity  from  tubercular  dis- 
ease than  others  of  perhaps  twice  their  altitude.  Local 
conditions,  therefore,  other  than  the  single  one  of  mere 
elevation  determine  the  suitability  of  each  particular 
district.  Protection  from  strong  winds  appears  to  be 
one  of  these  conditions.  One  important  fact  appeared 
to  come  out  of  the  inquiry  so  far  as  it  had  at  that 
time  advanced,  viz.  that  a  moderate  elevation  of  1,500 
to  3,000  feet  was  as  useful  in  some  parts  of  the  world 
as  an  altitude  of  from  7,000  to  10,000  feet  in  others. 

After  wintering  at  these  altitudes,  one  of  the 
difficulties  always  has  been  what  to  do  when  the  tran- 
sitional season  of  spring  sets  in,  and  the  snow  begins 


574      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

to  melt.  "  When  the  snows  melts/'  a  patient  writes 
from  St.  Moritz,  "  winds  of  icy  coldness  blow  on  the 
snow,  surpassing  English  east  winds  in  their  fierce 
bitterness,  making  existence  barely  tolerable  in  March 
and  April."  Some,  however,  boldly  face  the  incon- 
venience and  remain  where  they  have  wintered,  and, 
so  far  as  we  can  learn,  without  taking  any  particular 
harm.  But  some  springs  are  much  more  trying  and 
disagreeable  than  others,  and,  no  doubt,  there  is  a. 
craving  for  a  little  change  when  spring,  with  its  un- 
pleasant weather,  reaches  the  snow-covered  valley. 
To  return  to  England  at  once  seems  scarcely  advisable, 
knowing  what  our  own  spring  weather  is  like.  To 
seek  some  other  intermediate  mountain  station,  of 
lower  elevation,  for  a  few  weeks  before  descending  to 
the  sea-level  would  perhaps  be  the  best  thing  to  do, 
if  such  suitable  stations  were  easily,  found.  But  there 
are  difficulties  in  doing  this.  Many  of  the  summer 
resorts  between  2,500  and  3,500  feet  above  the  sea  are 
not  open  and  available  at  this  season,  and  in  those 
that  are  available  the  accommodation  is  perhaps  not 
such  as  invalids  require.  Moreover,  even  if  a  suit- 
able intermediate  station  is  found,  it  will  occasionally 
happen  that  pulmonary  invalids  find  themselves  worse 
for  the  change,  and  begin  to  think  they  have  been  ill- 
directed  in  their  choice  ;  whereas  they  should  bear  in 
mind  that  the  spring  is  a  difficult  season  everywhere, 
especially  for  those  who  suffer  as  they  do. 

Thusis,  2,448  feet  above  the  sea,  is  convenient  and 
accessible  from  the  Engadine,  but  little  is  known 
about  its  spring  climate,  and,  from  its  situation,  it 
would,  we  fear,  be  draughty  in  spring.  Fair  accom- 
modation can  be  obtained  there,  and  it  has  the 
advantage  of  being  on  the  way  homeward. 

Seewis,  nearly  3,000  feet  above  the  sea,  a  village 
in  the  Prattigau,  quite  close  to'Landquart,  is  exceed- 
ingly conveniently  situated,  in  a  picturesque  position, 
with  a  good  sunny  aspect,  and,  we  are  assured  by 
those  who  have  spent  a  whole  winter  there,  has  good 
but  limited  accommodation. 


MOUNTAIN  CLIMATES.  575 

Glion,  above  Montreux  on  the  Lake  of  Geneva, 
about  2,300  feet  above  the  sea,  is  a  pleasant,  sunny 
station  with  very  good  accommodation  and  most 
picturesque  and  cheerful  surroundings  ;  but  it  is 
rather  out  of  the  way  for  those  who  are  returning  to 
England  from  Davos  or  the  Engadine. 

Heiden,  2,660  feet  above  the  sea,  near  Rorschach, 
.on  the  Lake  of  Constance,  is  also  conveniently  acces- 
sible and  in  a  pleasant  situation,  but  it  would  pro- 
bably be  found  dull  and  unprepared  for  spring  visitors. 

The  Dolder  Hotel,  close  to  Zurich,  is  finely 
situated,  and  conveniently  placed  on  the  home- 
ward route. 

In  conclusion,  two  questions  must  be  briefly  dealt 
with  :  First,  what  class  of  invalids  may  fairly  expect 
to  derive  benefit  from  resorting  to  these  high  moun- 
tain valleys  ?  and,  secondly,  what  are  the  curative 
agencies  at  work  there  ? 

It  is  of  the  first  importance  to  remember  that  these 
mountain  climates  are  by  no  means  adapted  to  the 
treatment  of  many  well-defined  forms  of  consump- 
tion ;  that  cases  have  to  be  selected  with  great  care 
and  discrimination  ;  and  that  regard  must  be  had  as 
much  to  the  constitution  and  temperament  of  the 
individual  as  to  the  extent  of  local  disease. 
Hereditary  predisposition,  other  circumstances  being 
favourable,  offers  no  counter-indication  to  the  suit- 
ability of  these  stations.  But  their  remedial  power  is 
especially  manifested  in  persons  wjio  have  become 
accidentally  the  subjects  of  chronic  lung  disease,  and 
who  were  the  possessors  of  an  originally  sound  con- 
stitution, and  have  obvious  reserve  stores  of  physical 
vigour.  It  is  the  universal  experience  of  physicians 
that  the  phthisical  constitution  is  the  most  difficult 
of  all  to  control ;  consumptive  patients  are  for  ever 
committing  indiscretions  which  are  perilous  to  them- 
selves, and  in  the  last  degree  exasperating  to  their 
doctors.  Cautions  against  over-excitement  and  over- 
exertion  are  therefore  specially  needed  in  climates 


5;6      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

such  as  we  have  been  considering.  Hence  the  value 
of  treatment  in  sanatoria.  The  following  summary 
of  cases  suitable  to  these  high  mountain  health 
resorts  is  founded  on  a  long  practical  experience  in 
one  of  them,  collated  with  that  of  the  author. 

1.  Where  there  is  an  obvious  and  well-ascertained 
predisposition  to  consumption,  and  when  perhaps  a 
slight  hcemorrh  age  has  occurred  without  the  manifest- 
ation of  any  definite  local  disease,   as  a   preventive 
measure  a  residence  for  two  or  three  seasons  in  a  high 
mountain  station  is  to  be  recommended. 

2.  In  catarrhal  forms  of  consumption,  in  the  early 
stage,  without  much  constitutional  disturbance,  or  rise 
of  temperature,  the  best  results  may  be  looked  for. 
But  cases  with  much  fever  from  the  commencement, 
and  of  nervous  and  excitable  temperament,  must  not 
be  sent  to  high  altitudes. 

3.  Chronic  inflammatory  induration  and  infiltration 
of  limited  portions  of  the  lung,  often  the  result  of  acute 
congestion  and  inflammation,  are  especially  suitable  ; 
not  so,  however,  if  a  considerable  extent  of  lung  is 
the  seat  of  tuberculous  disease,  or  if,  owin-g  to  the 
extent  of  lung  involved  and  consequent  changes  in  the 
sound  lung,  there  is  much  dyspncea. 

4.  Cases   of  chronic  bronchial  catarrh  in   young 
people ;    that  is  to  say,  those  cases  of  tendency  to 
repeated  attacks  of  "  cold  on  the  chest,"  often  left 
behind  in  children   after   whooping-cough,   measles, 
and  other  maladies.    But  this  does  not  apply  to  the 
chronic    winter    coughs    of   persons    more    or    less 
advanced  in   life,  or   to  cases  where  there  is   much 
permanent  shortness  of  breath.     The  young  patients 
of  this  class  should  begin  the  mountain-air  cure  before 
the  end  of  the  summer  season,  and  continue  it  through 
the   succeeding  winter,  so   as   to   become   gradually 
adapted  to  the  change  of  climate. 

5.  The  results,  in  the  shape   of  thickenings  and 
adhesions,  of  former  attacks  of  pleurisy,  to   which, 
too  often,  the  development  of  serious  subsequent  lung 
disease  can  be  traced.     The  pulmonary  gymnastics 


THE    MOUNTAIN-AIR     CURE.  577 

excited  by  treatment  in  high  altitudes  prove  of  great 
value  in  those  cases. 

6.  Many  cases  of  purely  nervous  asthma  in  young 
subjects  have  been  cured  in  these  resorts. 

7.  Apart  from  cases  of  pulmonary  disease,  many 
other  ailments,  such  as    general  loss   of  power,  not 
dependent    on    organic     disease,    cases    of   nervous 
exhaustion,    over-work,    retarded    convalescence    in 
otherwise    vigorous   constitutions,   certain   forms    of 
dyspepsia  and  hypochondriasis,  and  other  less  strictly 
definable  maladies  of  a  neurasthenic  or  anaemic  form, 
not  seldom  find  restoration  to  health  and  strength 
from  prolonged  residence  in  the  pure  bracing  air  oi 
these  Alpine  stations. 

Next,  what  are  the  curative  agencies  at  work  in 
these  resorts  ?  This  question  is  by  no  means  an  easy 
one  to  answer  decisively.  When  we  reflect  that  cases 
of  consumption  are  arrested  in  their  course  and 
apparently  cured,  as  they  certainly  have  been,  in  such 
a  climate,  for  instance,  as  that  of  Arcachon,  on  the 
coast  of  the  Atlantic,  and  in  the  many  "  open  air  " 
sanatoria  in  our  own  country,  and  arlso  in  such  an 
apparently  utterly  different  climate  as  that  of  Davos, 
we  are  led  to  the  conclusion  that  we  must  seek  for 
some  special  relation  between  the  individual  to  be 
cured  and  the  particular  climate  that  will  suit  him. 
And  it  is  sometimes  only  by  actual  trial  that  such 
relation  can  be  discovered. 

Purity  and  stillness  of  atmosphere  are  two 
important,  and  probably  the  most  important,  condi- 
tions at  work.  Elevation  in  itself,  as  has  already  been 
said,  may  also  be  of  some  importance,  but  it  cannot 
be  an  essential ;  it  brings  with  it  other  conditions, 
however,  such  as  dryness  and  purity  of  air,  which  are 
of  great  consequence.  The  Tartar  steppes,  where 
the  Russian  physicians  send  their  consumptive 
patients,  and  where,  we  are  told,  they  are  cured,  are 
sometimes  below  and  not  above  the  sea-level.  It  is 
not  the  low  temperature  alone  that  is  the  cause  of 
immunity  from  phthisis  in  these  mountain  valleys, 


578      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

for  in  some  of  the  coldest  parts  of  Russia  the  mortal- 
ity from  phthisis  is  more  than  20  per  cent,  of  all 
deaths ;  but  the  cold,  in  these  places,  is  probably 
associated  amongst  the  poorer  peasantry  with  over- 
crowding and  other  insanitary  conditions  of  life,  to 
which  thfe  mortality  from  phthisis  is  doubtless  due. 
Cold,  when  associated  with  dry,  calm,  pure  air,  gives 
tone  to  the  organism  and  stimulates  appetite. 

It  used  to  be  thought  that  an  equable  temperature 
was  of  great  importance  in  the  treatment  of  consump- 
tion ;  and  within  certain  limits,  and  if  associated  with 
certain  other  qualities,  equability  of  temperature  is  an 
advantage  in  a  climate  ;  but,  unless  dryness  of  the  air 
is  associated  with  it,  equability  of  temperature  is  not 
of  so  much  value.  Indeed,  a  too  equable  temperature 
may  lead  to  loss  of  tonic  property,  and  so  diminish 
nutritive  activity.  We  find,  for  example,  that  in 
Ceylon,  which  has  a  remarkably  equable  climate, 
consumption  is  exceedingly  common.  On  the  other 
hand,  at  Quito,  in  Ecuador,  which  is  10,000  feet  above 
the  sea,  its  immunity  from  phthisical  disease  is  con- 
sidered to  be  greatly  due  to  its  equable  temperature  ; 
the  mean  temperature  for  the  year  being  60°  F.,  and 
"  in  a  large  room,  with  doors  and  windows  open  day 
and  night,  the  temperature  varied  between  57°  and 
60°  only  ! "  But  it  is  obvious  that  the  climate  of 
Quito  possesses  not  only  equability,  but  the  other 
conditions  dependent  on  great  elevation. 

It  has  been  suggested,  and  with  much  reason,  that 
the  immunity  from  phthisis  observed  in  certain  places, 
and  at  certain  elevations,  may  perhaps  be  due  to  the 
fact  that  the  inhabitants  are  all  agricultural  or 
pastoral,  and  live  out-of-door  lives,  and  also  to  the 
relative  scantiness  of  population. 

But,  as  we  pointed  out  some  years  ago,  the  chief 
curative  agency  at  work  in  these  elevated  districts  is 
probably  the  aseptic  quality  of  the  air.  It  has 
been  shown  that  there  is  an  almost  entire  absence  in 
these  localities  of  those  organic  impurities  which 
play  such  an  important  part  in  the  production  of 


THE     MOUNTAIN-AIR     CURE.  579 

disease.  To  this  fact  may  be  added  the  stimulating 
and  tonic  properties  of  the  cold  pure  air,  promoting 
the  desire  for  muscular  activity,  as  well  as  increasing 
the  power  for  the  same,  by  inducing  increased 
activity  in  the  functions  of  nutrition.  Another 
valuable  condition  is  the  rarefaction  of  the  air,  which 
necessitates  greater  activity  of  the  respiratory  organs. 
The  respirations  are  necessarily  more  frequent  and 
more  profound  ;  the  air  breathed  is  relatively  richer 
in  active  oxygen  than  the  air  of  the  plains  ;  a  more 
complete  aeration  of  the  blood  is  secured  ;  all  the 
portions  of  the  lungs  which  are  capable  of  admitting 
air  are  called  into  full  play  and  activity  ;  the  air-cells 
are  more  completely  dilated  ;  the  functions  of  all  the 
healthy  portions  of  the  lungs  are  roused  and 
thoroughly  engaged  in  the  work  of  respiration. 
There  is,  in  short,  hyper-ventilation  of  the  lungs. 
We  find  that  the  chest  expands  considerably  during 
residence  in  these  resorts,  and  portions  of  lung 
ordinarily  little  used  in  breathing  (and  these  are  the 
parts  specially  liable  to  be  attacked  in  phthisis)  become 
actively  engaged,  and  so  a  compensatory  activity  in 
the  sound  parts  makes  up  for  the  inactivity  in  parts 
which  have  become  spoiled  by  disease.  The  increased 
activity  of  the  circulating  functions,  the  more  complete 
penetration  of  all  the  tissues  of  the  lung  by  the  more 
active  blood  currents,  promote  repair  and  recovery 
from  the  damage  inflicted  by  disease.  The  low 
temperature  of  the  air  inhaled  also  has  a  tendency 
to  diminish  fever.  The  energetic  action  of  the  solar 
rays,  the  intensity  of  the  insolation,  is  also  a  most 
important  factor. 'These  may  not  be  all  the  influences 
at  work  in  the  restoration  to  health  of  the  pul- 
monary invalids  who  pass  their  winters  in  these 
snow-covered  regions,  but  we  doubt  not  that  they  are 
the  chief. 

Davos  has  some  excellent  sanatoria  for  the  re- 
ception and  treatment  of  consumptive  patients, 
in  addition  to  a  vast  number  of  good  hotels  and 
tensions.  Dr.  Turban's  sanatorium  has  a  wide 


580      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

reputation,  and  at  Davos  Dorf  there  are  Dr. 
Dannegger's  and  others.  Then  there  are  the  German 
and  Swiss  sanatoria  for  assisted  patients  belonging 
to  the  working  classes,  conducted  on  the  same  system 
as  that  proposed  for  adoption  in  the  projected  Queen 
Alexandra  Sanatorium.  There  is  also  the  Schatz-Alp 
Private  Sanatorium  in  an  admirable  situation — per- 
haps the  finest  in  Europe,  1,000  feet  above  the  Davos 
Valley,  where  it  must  get  more  sunshine,  especially  in 
the  short  winter  days,  than  is  possible  in  the  valley. 

The  report  of  the  German  Sanatorium  states,  as  a 
result  of  a  year's  experience,  that  of  143  patients  who 
left  the  institution  during  the  year,  83*2  per  cent,  had 
improved  and  54*6  per  cent,  were  able  to  resume  full 
work,  results  which  appear  particularly  good  when  it 
is  borne  in  mind  that  only  30  per  cent,  of  these  cases 
were  in  the  first  stage. 

Comparing  results  obtained  at  these  high  altitude 
stations  with  those  resulting  from  treatment  in  low- 
lying  sanatoria,  Prof.  Erb  remarks  :  "  I  cannot  quite 
understand  how  people  in  some  places  appear  to  think 
and  say  that  similar  results  have  been  obtained  in  the 
mountains  of  medium  height,  in  the  low  countries, 
on  the  Rhine  and  in  the  lowlands  of  North  Germany  ; 
and  that  the  treatment  of  consumption  depends  much 
less  upon  the  climate  than  upon  the  special  hygienic 
and  dietary  conditions.  It  seems  to  me  indubitable 
that,  on  most  people,  the  high  mountain  climate  has 
a  particularly  invigorating  and  strengthening  effect, 
and  that  it  is  just  a  change  of  climate  that  is  needed 
to  obtain  a  powerful  and  climatic  effect ;  even  though 
the  high  mountains  need  not  always  be  called  into 
requisition.  Why  should  we  withhold  from  consump- 
tives, who  need  it  most  particularly,  this  advantage 
of  a  change  of  climate  and  especially  of  a  high 
mountain  climate,  and  leave  and  treat  them  in  their 
own  home,  and  in  the  climate  to  which  they  have 
been  accustomed  so  long  ?  "* 

*  Clinical  Lecture  on  "  Winter  Cures  in  the  High  Moun- 
tains," Leipsic,  1900. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

OTHER   MOUNTAIN  HEALTH   RESORTS  I    FOR 
WINTER    AND   SUMMER   CURES. 

A  MOUNTAINOUS  country  like  Switzerland  naturally 
presents  many  other  stations  suitable  for  the 
mountain-air  cure,  both  in  winter  and  summer,  as 
well  as  the  Engadine  and  Davos.  There  are  some 
in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  Davos — as 
Clavadel,  at  an  elevation  of  5,400  feet,  in  the  Sertig 
Valley.  It  lies  on  a  sunny  slope  and  has  a  Kurhaus 
with  a  residential  physician  (Dr.  Frey).  It  is  well 
suited  to  patients  who  wish  to  be  in  a  quieter 
resort  than  Davos,  and  the  climatic  conditions  are 
practically  the  same. 

Wiesen,  4,770  feet  above  the  sea,  only  eleven 
miles  from  Davos  Platz,  in  the  same  valley  (the 
Landwasser),  is  often  resorted  to  in  spring,  after 
wintering  at  Davos,  and  sometimes  also  as  a  prepara- 
tion for  the  winter  season  at  that  place.  It  is  in  a 
dry  and  sunny  situation,  on  sloping  ground,  about  i  ,000 
feet  above  the  river,  and  is  surrounded  by  very 
pleasing  mountain  scenery.  It  is  somewhat  better 
sheltered  from  cold  north  winds  than  Davos.  It  gets 
sunshine  in  the  shortest  days  from  10  a.m.  to  3  p.m., 
which  is  more  than  is  possible  at  Davos,  as  Wiesen  is 
more  open  towards  the  south. 

Of  course  the  same  society  and  amusements 
cannot  be  obtained  there,  but  some  may  not  think 
this  altogether  a  disadvantage.  A  patient,  a  medical 
man,  who  stayed  there, described  it  as  "  more  sheltered 
than  any  other  high  Alpine  health  resort." 

Arosa,  with  a  sanatorium  for  consumptives 
6,090  feet  above  the  sea,  is  a  small  hamlet  at  the  head 


582      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

of  a  valley  which  opens  to  the  west,  opposite  Lang- 
weis,  the  last  village  in  the  Schanfigg  Thai,  the  valley 
which  leads  from  Coire  to  the  Strela  Pass,  the  most 
direct  way  for  walkers  from  that  town  to  the  Davos 
valley.  It  is  about  five  hours  from  Coire  by  carriage 
road. 

In  the  summer  it  is  a  pleasant  walk  of  about  five 
hours  from  Arosa,  over  the  Strela  Pass,  to  the  Davos 
valley.  Arosa  has  of  late  years  developed  consider- 
ably as  a  winter  resort — an  alternative  to  its  neighbour 
Davos  on  the  other  side  of  the  mountains. 

Many  visitors  of  all  nationalities  now  spend  the 
winter  there.  It  is  much  more  sheltered  by  high 
mountains  than  Davos  ;  the  surface  of  the  ground  is 
broken  and  irregular  and  the  scenery  more  picturesque 
and  less  monotonous. 

Owing  to  this  shelter  it  enjoys  more  pro- 
tection from  winds,  and  the  dreaded  Fohn  is 
much  less  troublesome  than  at  Davos  and  Wiesen. 
Its  mean  relative  humidity  is  lower  than  that 
of  Davos,  being  only  60*3°  in  January.  It  is,  how- 
ever, rather  colder  owing  to  its  greater  elevation 
(about  800  feet),  and  for  the  same  reason  the  snow 
melts  later,  which  is  thought  to  be  an  advantage,  as  it 
enables  patients  to  remain  there  till  later  in  the 
spring.  The  variations  or  the  range  of  temperature  is 
less.  This  also  is  an  advantage.  Arosa  also  has 
rather  less  cloudiness. 

Arosa  is  reported  to  get  twenty-eight  and  a-half 
more  hours  of  actual  sunshine  in  the  three  winter 
months  than  Davos  Platz  ;  it  also  has  a  longer  period 
of  possible  winter  sunshine  than  either  Davos  or  St. 
Moritz,  but  this  is  more  than  neutralised  by  its  faulty 
distribution,  for  the  sun  rises  earlier  in  the  day  and  sets 
earlier,  so  that  during  six  or  seven  weeks  in  winter 
the  sun  sets  before  3  p.m.  ! 

The  mean  temperature  for  the  three  winter  months, 
December,  January,  and  Feburary,  is  22-4°,  24-1°,  and 
277°  F. 

Arosa  is  a  much  quieter  place  than  either  Davos 


AROSA— LEYSIN-,  583 

or  St.  Moritz,  although  it  has  altered  greatly  recently 
in  the  increased  number  of  winter  visitors.  It  has 
now  many  good  hotels,  pensions,  and  villas,  an 
English  toboggan  club  (!),  and  six  resident  physicians. 
As  a  summer  resort  Arosa  has  many  attractions  ;  it  is 
a  spot  of  great  natural  beauty,  with  many  mountain 
walks  of  various  distances. 

Leysin  (4,783  feet)  is  at  a  rather  lower  elevation 
than  those  winter  mountain  resorts  we  have  just 
noticed.  It  is  also  in  western  or  French-speaking 
Switzerland,  while  they  are  in  eastern  Switzerland. 

This  mountain  resort,  beautifully  situated  in  the 
Vaudois  Alps,  is  mainly  devoted  to  the  sanatorium 
treatment  of  phthisis.  The  sanatoria  are  built  on  a 
plateau,  600  feet  above  the  village  of  Leysin,  protected 
from  the  cold  north  and  north-east  winds  by  moun- 
tains covered  with  pine  forests,  and  with  a  full 
southern  aspect  looking  across  the  Rhone  valley 
and  facing  the  Dent  du  Midi  and  the  majestic  moun- 
tain peaks  which  surround  Mont  Blanc.  It  would 
be  difficult  to  find  a  place  more  admirably  adapted  to 
the  purpose  for  which  it  has  been  chosen,  viz.  the 
"  open  air "  sanatorium  treatment  of  tuberculosis. 
There  are  three  large  sanatoria  :  ist,  the  Sanatorium 
Grand  Hotel,  the  dearest ;  2nd,  the  Sanatorium  Mont 
Blanc,  with  prices  rather  less  ;  and  3rd,  the  Sanatorium 
Chamassain,  with  quite  moderate  prices  (8  to  13  francs 
a  day,  inclusive  terms).  There  are  also  two  charitable 
institutions — the  Popular  Sanatorium  and  a  small 
sanatorium  for  children. 

It  is  wisely  insisted  upon  that  winter  patients  should 
"  come  in  September,  or,  at  the  latest,  October,  and 
not  in  November  only,  as  many  do  to  their  disadvan- 
tage ;  they  should  arrive  before  the  cold  weather 
comes  on  in  order  to  become  acclimatised  by  degrees." 
The  mean  whiter  temperature  at  Leysin  is  2876°  F., 
while  that  at  Davos  is  19*6°  ;  the  annual  range  or 
variation  is  also  reported  to  be  less  at  Leysin  than  at 
Davos.  "The  absolute  minimum  has  been  — 4*9°  F. 
(January  7,  1895)  ;  at  Davos,  on  the  same  day,  it 


584      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

was— 14*8°;   the  absolute  maximum  is  substantially 
the  same,  80*6°  F." 

The  average  variation  from  day  to  day  is  not  great, 
viz.  about  3*8°  F.  in  winter  and  3*6°  in  spring.  The 
mean  relative  humidity  is  small,  being  61  per  cent,  in 
winter,  while  at  Aigle,  in  the  valley,  it  is  77  per  cent. 
It  has  more  sunshine  in  winter  than  Davos  or  Arosa, 
owing  to  the  distance  of  the  opposite  mountains  ;  in 
December  (the  darkest  month)  it  may  reach  seven  and 
a-half  hours  in  the  day.  The  mean  amount  of  sunshine 
for  the  winter  quarter  is  50  per  cent,  of  the  possible 
sunshine.-  Fog  is  rare,  occurring  usually  in  the  sum- 
mer. As  to  wind,  it  is  claimed  for  Leysin  that  it  is 
"  one  of  the  best-sheltered  stations  in  the  Alps." 

Leysin  is  very  accessible,  being  reached  by  electric 
railway  in  an  hour  from  Aigle  station  in  the  Rhone 
Valley.  There  are  good  paths  through  the  pine 
woods,  and  skating  and  ski-ing  are  popular  in  the 
winter.  English  patients  have  not  been  numerous, 
hitherto,  at  Leysin,  perhaps  because  of  the  absence 
of  an  English  doctor,  probably  also  because  English 
patients  do  not  like  the  restrictions  of  sanatorium 
life ;  but  to  the  real  invalid  they  are  distinctly 
advantageous. 

Montana  (5,010  feet)  is  at  no  great  distance  from 
Leysin.  It  is  situated  high  up  on  the  mountain  range 
which  forms  the  northern  boundary  of  the  Rhone 
Valley,  and  therefore  has  a  full  south  aspect.  It  is 
reached  by  carriage  road  in  about  two  hours  from 
Sierre,  and  nearly  faces  the  grand  peak  of  the 
Weisshorn  and  the  opening  of  the  Val  d'Anniviers. 
The  country  around  the  hotel  has  been  rightly 
described  as  a  kind  of  natural  park,  with  beautiful 
spacious  green  lawns  and  grand  pine  trees,  and  a 
number  of  small  shallow  lakes  which  give  the  im- 
pression of  humidity.  We  think  it  better  suited  for 
a  quiet,  moderately  bracing  summer  retreat  than  a 
winter  residence. 

There  are  certain  other  resorts  in  Switzerland  of 
less  altitude,  but  which  are  also  frequented  in 


LES     AVANTS— CAUX.  585 

winter  by  invalids,  which  we  must  briefly  notice. 
Three  of  these  are  in  the  same  district  as  Leysin,  in 
the  Alps  of  Vaudois,  viz.  Mont  de  Caux,  Les  Avants, 
and  Glion. 

Of  these,  Les  Avants  (3,212  feet)  has  been  estab- 
lished for  some  years,  and  has  acquired  a  well- 
merited  reputation  as  a  winter  resort.  It  is  in  a 
beautiful  situation  open  to  and  facing  the  south — 
looking  over  the  upper  part  of  the  Lake  of  Geneva 
and  on  to  the  Dent  du  Midi.  It  is  almost  2,000 
feet  above  the  lake  and  has  the  disadvantage  of  all 
such  elevations,  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  lakes, 
that  mists  will  occasionally  hang  over  it  for  hours  in 
the  early  part  of  the  day.  But  apart  from  this  it 
has  much  to  recommend  it. 

Its  situation  is  very  advantageous  both  on  account 
of  its  accessibility  and  its  protected  character,  and  also 
because  of  its  beautiful  and  varied  walks  on  the 
wooded  mountain  sides. 

It  lies  at  the  foot  of  the  Col  de  Jaman,  and  is 
enclosed  .by  mountains  on  all  sides  except  to  the 
south-west.  It  has  much  sunshine  and  a  somewhat 
milder  winter  climate  than  the  higher  mountain 
resorts  ;  the  snow  melts  earlier,  and  may  have  dis- 
appeared at  the  beginning  of  March,  so  that  the 
spring  is  a  much  more  agreeable  season  than  at  some 
of  the  higher  resorts,  for  the  sloping  inclination  of  the 
ground  allows  of  the  free  draining  away  of  the  water 
from  the  melting  snow. 

The  accommodation  there  is  very  good,  and  the 
plac?  is  v.ery  accessible,  being  connected  with  Mon- 
treux  by  a  funicular  railway,  the  transit  occupying 
about  three-quarters  of  an  hour.  Les  Avants  is  also 
very  popular  as  a  summer  resort,  when  it  is  often 
crowded  with  visitors. 

Caux  or  Mont  de  Caux  (nearly  4,000  feet)  is  very 
near  Les  Avants  — less  than  an  hcur's  walk — but  it 
stands  in  a  more  open  situation,  the  hotels  being 
built  on  a  small  plateau  which  projects  from-  the 
mountains  behind  it  towards  the  Lake  of  Geneva  ;  it 


586      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

therefore  enjoys  much  less  protection  from  prevailing 
winds,  and  although  it  is  a  winter  as  well  as  a  summer 
resort,  the  managers  of  its  palatial  hotels  (Grand 
Hotel  and  Caux  Palace  Hotel)  announce  that  it 
"  cannot  be  recommended  to  persons  attacked  by 
serious  maladies,  and,  contrary  to  what  is  done  at 
other  alpine  stations,  those  suffering  from  TUBER- 
CULOSIS OR  PHTHISIS  WILL  IN  NO  CASE  BE  RE- 
CEIVED." The  cases  they  claim  as  suitable  are, 
"  weak  and  ana?mic  persons,  convalescents,  and  those 
suffering  from  nervous  disorders  and  heart  affection." 

The  magnificent  new  Palace  Hotel  is  fitted  up 
with  hydr  other  apeutic,  medical,  and  electric  baths. 
While  constructing  this  new  hotel  a  terrace  was  also 
made  nearly  three-quarters  of  a  mile  in  extent  "  com- 
manding one  of  the  finest  views  in  the  world,"  and 
suitable  for  the  sun  cure,  and  as  a  promenade  and 
bicycle  track.  This  terrace  is  lit  up  by  electric  lamps. 

Caux  is  situated  directly  above  Territet  and  Glion, 
and  between  the  latter  place  and  the  Col  de  Jaman 
and  the  Rochers  de  Naye,  where  there  is  a  mountain 
hotel,  open  in  the  summer,  at  an  elevation  of  nearly 
6,500  feet. 

Both  Caux  and  Les  Avants  have  the  advantage 
over  resorts  situated  in  inhabited  valleys,  traversed  by 
carriage  roads,  in  that  they  enjoy  complete  freedom 
from  dust  in  summer. 

Caux,  like  Les  Avants,  is  a  most  popular  summer 
resort,  and  is  often  very  crowded  in  July,  August,  and 
September.  A  cog-wheel  railway  ascends  from 
Territet,  on  the  lake,  to  the  Rochers  de  Naye,  with 
stations  at  Glion,  Caux,  and  Jaman. 

Glion  is  only  2,400  feet  above  the  sea,  and  although 
open  both  winter  and  summer  it  may  be  associated 
more  closely  with  Montreux,  and  has  none  of  the 
special  characters  of  an  altitude  resort.  It  is  es- 
pecially useful  as  a  transition  resort  in  spring  and 
autumn. 

Quitting  the  Canton  de  Vaud,  a  few  other 
mountain  resorts  of  no  great  elevation,  which  are 


ANDERMATT—ST.    BEATENBERG.  587 

open  for  the  reception  of  winter  visitors,  must  be 
mentioned. 

The  most  elevated  of  these  is  Andermatt,  on  the 
old  St.  Gothard  road  and  also  on  the  Oberalp  route, 
about  4,700  feet  above  the  sea.  Although  it  has 
been  open  as  a  winter  resort  for  some  years  it  has 
never  attained  any  great  reputation,  and  it  must  be 
admitted  it  is  not  so  well  placed  as,  and  has  not  any 
advantages  which  would  lead  to  its  selection  in  pre- 
ference to,  the  other  winter  resorts  we  have  referred 
to.  It  has,  however,  the  convenience  of  being  close 
to  a  station  on  an  international  line  of  railway 
(Goschenen).  This  circumstance,  and  its  situation 
in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  some  of  the 
grandest  Swiss  scenery,  have  made  Andermatt  a  very 
suitable  bracing  summer  resort,  and  it  may  be  recom- 
mended to  those  who  do  not  wish  to  go  so  far  as  the 
Engadine,  or  who  prefer  the  scenery  of  Lucerne  and 
the  Oberland.  It  is  also  most  convenient  for  those 
who  propose  to  continue  their  journey  into  Italy. 

Adelboden  (4,660  feet)  is  both  a  winter  and  a 
summer  resort,  but  "  all  the  hotels  and  pensions  have 
agreed  collectively  to  take  no  cases  of  tuberculosis." 
It  has  a  large  skating  rink,  which  is  found  very 
attractive  in  winter.  The  nearest  railway  station  is 
Frutigen,  from  which  it  is  a  three  hours'  drive.  It 
is  near  the  Wildstrubel. 

St.  Beatenberg  (3,750  feet)  has  a  Kurhaus  open 
for  the  reception  of  winter  as  well  as  summer  guests. 
It  lies  on  a  sort  of  long  natural  terrace  on  the  north 
side  of  the  Lake  of  Thun,  well  protected  by  the 
mountains  behind  it  from  the  north  and  east,  and 
cpen  to  the  south  and  south-west.  It  commands  a 
fine  view  over  tha  highest  peaks  of  the  Oberland, 
looks  over  the  Lake  of  Thun,  and  faces  the  opening  of 
the  Simmenthal.  It  can  be  reached  in  about  three 
hours  by  carriage  from  Interlaken  or  by  funicular 
railway  in  fifteen  minutes  from  Beatenbucht  on  the 
Lake  of  Thun. 

Its    climatic  characters  are  not  those  of  a  high 


588      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

mountain  station  and  it  must  not  be  regarded  as  com- 
peting in  any  way  with  these.  It  differs  from  them 
in  being  mild  and  equable  and  having  more  cloud  and 
more  agitation  of  the  air  in  winter.  When  the  sky 
is  clear  the  insolation  in  winter  is  intense.  Its  air 
is  soothing,  as  well  as  tonic,  and  the  possession  of  a 
nearly  horizontal  promenade,  about  three  miles  in 
length,  offers  a  great  boon  to  feeble  persons  who 
cannot  climb,  but  who  require  much  gentle  exercise 
in  the  open  air. 

In  winter  it  may  be  utilised  as  a  resort  for  rest 
and  convalescence,  and  as  it  has  an  early  spring — the 
snow  melting  rapidly  in  the  places  exposed  to  the 
sun — it  may  be  convenient  as  an  intermediate  station 
between  high  altitudes  and  the  plains.  As  a  resort  in 
summer  it  is  valuable  in  cases  of  chronic  catarrh  of 
the  respirative  mucous  membrane,  in  those  of  predis- 
position to  phthisis,  or  in  .its  early  stage  without  the  pre- 
sence of  fever,  and  in  slow  convalescence  from  pleurisy 
and  pulmonary  affections  generally.  In  winter  its 
action  is  more  tonic,  and  it  may  be  resorted  to  by 
young  patients  of  tuberculous  or  scrofulous  families, 
or  by  those  suffering  from  anaemic  or  neurotic  con- 
ditions. It  is  also  suitable  to  some  forms  of  cardiac 
diseases — the  air  being  mildly  tonic  and  not  exciting. 
It  is  a  very  popular  summer  resort. 

Gossensass  (3,600  feet),  on  the  southern  side  of 
the  Brenner  Pass,  with  a  station  on  the  railway, 
about  two  hours  from  Innsbruck,  has  recently  advanced 
claims  to  be  considered  a  suitable  winter  resort  for 
the  same  purposes  and  the  same  class  of  cases  as 
Davos,  with  what  amount  of  success  we  are  not  yet 
aware.  It  certainly  appears  to  have  some  attractions 
as  a  summer  subalpine  resort  for  those  who  happen 
to  be  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Innsbruck  or  who  are 
coming  from  Italy  in  that  direction — the  accom- 
modation is  good,  the  charges  are  moderate,  and 
the  surroundings  attractive. 

There  are  many  distant  mountain  sanatoria  and 
winter  and  summer  resorts  out  of  Europe.  We  shall 


SUMMER     MOUNTAIN     RESORTS.  589 

reserve  the  consideration  of  such  of  these  as  are  of 
chief  interest  until  we  have  concluded  our  survey  of 
the  most  popular  and  useful  summer  mountain  resorts 
to  accessible  districts  in  Europe. 

Summer  Resorts. 

If  there  are  but  few  European  mountain  stations 
suitable  for  conversion  into  winter  sanatoria,  there  are 
a  very  great  number  adapted  for  resort  in  summer. 
In  the  remainder  of  this  chapter  we  shall  endeavour  to 
mention  most  of  these  and  to  describe  briefly  the 
chief  of  them. 

It  may  be  convenient  to  group  these  roughly  into 
those  having  an  elevation  of  over  6,000  feet,  and  pos- 
sessing therefore  a  highly  bracing  climate  ;  those  with 
an  elevation  of  between  5,000  and  6,000  feet,  and 
having  a  decidedly  bracing  climate  ;  those  between 
3,000  and  5,000  feet,  and  having  a  moderately  bracing 
climate  ;  and  finally  those  below  3,000  feet,  which  still 
possess  in  some  respects  the  character  of  mountain 
climates,  but  whose  bracing  quality  depends  much 
upon  latitude,  aspect,  and  surroundings,  which  is 
indeed  more  or  less  the  case  with  all  these  resorts, 
as  has  been  already  explained. 

The  elevated  winter  resorts  in  the  Engadine  and 
elsewhere  in  Switzerland  have  been  already  described. 
Of  summer  resorts  the  hotel  on  the  Riffelberg,  the 
Riffelhaus,  now  connected  with  Zermatt  by  a 
mountain  railway,  is  one  of  the  highest  in  Europe, 
being  8,427  feet  above  the  sea.  The  accommodation 
is  fairly  good,  but  the  hotel  is  apt  to  be  overcrowded 
in  fine  weather. 

A  more  suitable  place  for  the  ailing  in  mind  and 
body  is  the  RifFel-Alp,  about  1,000  feet  lower.  This 
hotel  is  in  a  magnificent  position  and  is  greatly 
resorted  to  by  clergymen,  schoolmasters,  and  pro- 
fessional men  who  need  refreshment  and  rest  from 
their  labours.  It  is  generally  found  too  high  for 
persons  with  feeble  circulation  and  weak  hearts 


590      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

and  who  are  subject  to  attacks  of  congestion  of  the 
liver. 

The  hotels  on  the  Gornergrat  (10,250  feet)  and  at 
the  Schwarzsee  (8,490  feet)  are  too  high  for  any 
invalids. 

The  hospice  on  the  Bernina  Pass  (7,650  feet), 
about  three  hours  from  Pontresina,  is  one  of  the 
highest  spots  in  Europe  where  any  one  has  made 
a  prolonged  residence  solely  for  the  sake  of  health.* 
The  food  and  accommodation  there  are  both  very  fair, 
and  there  is  a  good  carriage  road  which  passes  by  the 
hospice,  providing  fairly  level  walks  for  those  who  do 
not  wish  to  climb.  The  air  is  extremely  dry  and 
bracing,  but  the  nights,  as  the  writer  can  testify,  are 
even  in  summer  sometimes  excessively  cold,  and  one's 
very  bed  feels  as  if  it  had  been  "  iced." 

The  Hotel  Weisshorn,  above  Vissoye,  in  Val 
d'Anniviers  (7,690  feet),  is  in  an  exposed  situation 
with  very  little  shelter. 

On  the  Eggischhorn,  the  Hotel  de  la  Jungfrau, 
7,362  feet  above  the  sea,  offers  good  accommodation 
to  those  who  desire  to  pass  a  few  weeks  in  fine 
bracing  air,  close  to  one  of  the  largest  glaciers — the 
Aletsch — in  the  Alps.  It  is  approached  from  Viesch, 
in  the  Rhone  Valley,  by  a  safe  and  not  very  steep 
bridle-track,  in  about  three  hours.  Within  ten 
minutes  of  the  hotel  is  one  of  the  finest  panoramic 
views  in  the  Alps — of  the  great  peaks  around  Zermatt. 
It  is  also  the  best  starting  point  for  excursions  on  the 
Aletsch  glacier,  and  for  the  ascent  of  some  of  the 
higher  peaks  of  the  Oberland. 

The  hotel  on  the  Bell-Alp,  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  Aletsch  glacier  to  the  Eggischhorn,  is  7,153  feet 
above  the  sea.  It  is  usually  approached  from  Brieg, 
the  terminus  of  the  Rhone  Valley  Railway,  by  a  mule- 
path,  in  four  or  five  hours.  The  path  is  steep  in 
points,  and  the  ascent  fatiguing  to  only  moderate 

*  See  "  Safe  Studies,"  by  the  Hon.  Lionel  Tollemache. 
Article  on  "  The  Upper  Engadine." 


SUMMER     MOUNTAIN     RESORTS.  591 

walkers.  Its  nearness  to  a  railway  station  makes  it, 
perhaps,  the  most  accessible  high  mountain  resort  in 
Switzerland,  and  it  is  a  favourite  resort  of  the  English. 
The  drawback,  so  far  as  invalids  are  concerned,  is  the 
difficulty  of  finding  level  walks.  Excursions  on  the 
glacier  involve  a  very  steep  descent  in  going  and  a 
very  fatiguing  ascent  on  returning.  The  ascent  of 
the  Sparrenhorn,  a  pyramidal  summit  (9,889  feet) 
rising  just  behind  the  hotel,  is  a  walk  of  two  and  a- 
half  hours,  and  from  the  summit  there  is  a  magnificent 
near  view  of  the  great  Aletschhorn,  and  a  glorious 
panorama  of  the  peaks  to  the  south  of  the  Rhone 
valley. 

There  is  a  hotel  at  a  rather  lower  elevation,  the 
Rieder  Furka  (6,820  feet),  and  another  on  the  Rieder 
Alp,  6,388  feet  above  the  sea ;  the  latter  can  be  reached 
in  two  and  a-half  hours  from  the  hotel  on  the  Eggisch- 
horn.  It  can  be  ascended  from  Morel,  in  the  Rhone 
valley,  in  three  hours.  It  is  better  adapted  for  inva- 
lids who  wish  to  make  a  protracted  stay  in  a  high 
mountain  resort  than  its  higher  neighbours. 

There  are  two  hotels  on  Mount  Pilatus,  but 
neither  quite  suited  to  invalids.  The  highest,  the 
Hotel  Bellevue,  6,790  feet  above  the  sea,  is  situated 
on  the  ridge  between  the  two  highest  peaks,  and  is 
only  eight  minutes'  walk  from  the  summit.  The 
other,  the  Hotel  Kleinsenhorn,  5,935  feet,is  built  on  the 
saddle  connecting  two  of  the  other  peaks — the  Ober- 
haupt  and  the  Kleinsenhorn. 

There  is  a  very  obvious  objection  to  all  resorts  in 
isolated  situations  on  or  near  mountain  peaks,  that  in 
bad  or  misty  weather  there  are  no  facilities  for  taking 
exercise  such  as  can  be  had  in  great  mountain 
valleys  like  the  Engadine  or  at  Davos. 

There  is  a  fair  inn  on  the  Great  Scheideck  (6,434 
feet),  reached  in  three  hours  from  Grindelwald. 

The  Hotel  Jungfrau  on  the  Wengern  Alp  has 
good  accommodation  (6,184  feet). 

The  hotel  on  the  Engstlen  Alp  (6,033  fe_et)  offers 
a  pleasant  resting-place  amidst  beautiful  surroundings 


592      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

and  the  grandest  mountain  scenery.  It  is  on  the  road 
from  Meiringen  to  Engelberg  by  the  Joch  Pass,  and 
is  about  five  hours  from  the  former  place. 

Arolla  (6,572  feet),  with  a  fair  hotel  (Hotel  du 
Mont  Collen),  is  about  three  and  a-half  hours  from 
Evolena  by  a  bridle-path,  and  is  situated  at  the  top  of 
the  Val  d' Kerens  in  a  fine  position  opposite  the 
grand  pyramid  of  Mont  Collen.  It  is  surrounded 
by  a  wood  of  "  Swiss "  stone-pines,  here  called 
"  arolla." 

It  is  a  fine  bracing  locality,  fairly  accessible,  about 
eight  or  nine  hours  from  Sion  railway  station,  and  well 
suited  to  those  who  wish  for  exercise  in  mountain  air 
with  quiet  surroundings. 

Chandolin  (6,340  feet)  is  in  a  fine  situation  above 
St.  Luc  in  the  Val  d'Anniviers. 

On  the  southern  side  of  the  Alps,  near  Airolo,  on 
the  St.  Gothard  Railway,  the  Hotel  Piora  (6,000  feet), 
in  the  valley  of  that  name,  offers  a  charming  mountain 
retreat.  It  is  built  on  a  hill,  in  a  sheltered  position  to 
the  left  of  a  sequestered  lake — Lake  Riton — in  the 
vicinity  of  pine  woods,  and  with  fine  views  close  at 
hand.  It  is  about  three  hours'  walk  from  Airolo. 

Sulden  (6,050  feet),  a  pleasant  mountain  resort  with 
good  accommodation  in  the  Suldenthal,  in  the  Ortler 
district,  a  valley  branching  off  from  the  Stelvio  road 
near  Trafoi. 

Many  mountain  inns  not  suitable  for  a  prolonged 
stay  we  have  not  mentioned. 

There* are  many  resorts  to  choose  from,  amongst 
the  next  group,  at  an  elevation  of  between  5,000  and 
6,000  feet. 

Perhaps  the  best  knowrn  of  these  are  the  several 
resorts  on  the  Rigi,  which  vary  in  elevation  from  the 
Hotel  du  Rigi  Kulm,  about  5,800  feet,  to  the  Hotel  du 
Rigi  Kaltbad,  4,728  feet.  At  intermediate  elevations 
are  the  Rigi  Scheideck,  5,400  feet,  the  Rigi  Staffel, 
5,200  feet,  and  the  Rigi  First,  4,750  feet.  These  resorts 
are  so  well  known  that  they  do  not  need  to  be 


SUMMER     MOUNTAIN     RESORTS.  593 

described.  The  Scheideck  is  perhaps  the  most  suitable 
for  invalids. 

The  Rhone  Glacier  Hotel,  at  an  elevation  of  5,750 
feet  above  the  sea,  is  nearly  as  high  as  that  of  the  Rigi 
Kulm.  It  is  well  managed,  and  affords  excellent 
accommodation  for  visitors,  with  the  opportunity 
of  breathing  fine  glacier  air.  Standing  at  the 
junction  of  the  Grimsel  and  Furka  Passes,  it  is  apt 
to  be  overcrowded  in  the  height  of  summer,  and  is, 
perhaps,  too  much  resorted  to  by  the  passing  tourist 
to  be  altogether  suitable  for  the  prolonged  residence 
of  invalids. 

Santa  Catarina  (5,700  feet),  in  Val  Furva,  seven 
miles  from  Bormio.  possesses,  like  St.  Moritz,  a  fairly 
strong  gaseous  iron  spring.  Its  situation  is  exceedingly 
beautiful,  surrounded  as  it  is  by  a  semicircle  of 
grandly  shaped  snow  mountains.  Situated  on  the 
southern  side  of  the  Alps  and  enclosed  on  nearly  all 
sides  by  lofty  mountains,  its  climate  is  less  bracing 
than  many  resorts  of  less  altitude, 

The  village  ofMtirren,  5,348  feet  above  the  sea, 
is  connected  with  Lauterbrunnen  by  funicular  and 
electric  railways. 

It  is  very  finely  situated,  opposite  the  precipitous 
western  face  of  the  Jungfrau,  and  is  surrounded  by 
very  grand  mountain  scenery.  It  has  good  accom- 
modation for  a  prolonged  stay,  and  is  very  popular 
as  a  bracing  resort  in  summer,  owing  to  the  protec- 
tion it  gets  from  high  mountains  close  to  it. 

It  is  not  so  dry  and  bracing  as  might  be  expected 
from  its  elevation  ;  but  it  is  well  adapted  for  such  as 
find  a  somewhat  mild  mountain  air  best  suited  to  them. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  Bernardino  Pass,  about 
thirty-six  miles  from  Thusis,  we  find  the  village  and 
baths  of  San  Barnardino,  at  a  height  of  5,334  feet 
above  the  sea.  It  possesses  a  chalybeate  spring,  which 
is  taken  internally  and  used  for  baths.  The  place  is 
much  frequented  by  Italians  during  July  and  August. 
The  hotel  accommodation  is  fair,  and  the  surrounding 
scenery  is  attractive. 


594      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS.      . 

Zinal  (5,500  feet),  in  the  Val  d'Anniviers,  is  a 
favourite  summer  resort,  reached  in  six  hours  from 
Sierre. 

Zermatt,  5,315  feet  above  the  sea,  is  well  known 
to  all  mountaineers.  It  is  in  the  midst  of  some  of  the 
finest  mountain  scenery  in  Europe  ;  but  it  is  more 
suitable  for  the  active  and  hardy  tourist  than  for  the 
valetudinarian,  unless  he  be  a  muscular  one  only 
needing  rest  of  mind,  in  fine  invigorating  air  and 
amidst  grand  scenery.  It  is  readily  accessible  by  a 
branch  line  from  the  Rhone  Valley  Railway. 

Gressonay-la-Trinite  (5, 3 70"  feet),  and  Gres- 
sonay  St.  Jean,  nearly  1,000  feet  lower,  on  the 
Italian  side  of  Monte  Rosa,  are  beautifully  situated, 
and  are  favourite  summer  resorts  of  the  Italians. 

Ceresole  Reale  (5,290  feet),  with  chalybeate 
springs,  is  described  in  Part  I. 

In  the  Adamello  district  of  the  Italian  Tyrol,  near 
Pinzolo,  at  an  elevation  of  about  5,000  feet,  in  a 
beautiful  situation,  is  the  Hotel  of  La  Madonna  di 
Campiglio,  close  to  the  pilgrimage  church  of  the  same 
name.  It  is  much  resorted  to  in  summer,  and  there 
are  fine  views  and  attractive  excursions  around. 

Trafoi  (5,080  feet),  on  the  Stelvio  road,  has  good 
accommodation. 

The  Karrersee  (5, 580  feet),  in  a  most  picturesque 
situation  in  the  Dolomites  of  the  Fassa,  five  hours 
from  Botzen,  has  excellent  accommodation,  and  is 
near  shady  woods. 

There  are  a  very  great  many  resorts  which  have 
to  be  included  in  the  next  group,  viz.  those  between 
3,000  and  5,000  feet  above  the  sea. 

Macugnaga  (4,354  feet),  in  the  Val  d'Anzasca, 
one  of  the  most  beautiful  of  the  southern  valleys  of 
the  Monte  Rosa  chain,  affords  excellent  accommoda- 
tion amidst  the  finest  scenery.  Lying  on  the  south 
side  of  this  great  Alpine  chain,  it  enjoys  a  milder 
climate  than  places  of  the  same  elevation  on  the  north 
of  it,  and  is  well  suited  to  those  invalids  who  require 


SUMMER     MOUNTAIN     RESORTS.  595 

a  mildly  bracing  climate  with,  however,  decidedly 
tonic  properties. 

Some  of  the  highest  of  this  group  are  found  in  the 
Dolomites.  These  are  rather  hot  in  mid-summer,  and 
are  better  suited  for  the  earlier  or  later  part  of  the 
season.  They  can  scarcely  be  recommended  to 
invalids  from  England  ;  but  for  those  who  are  already 
in  Italy,  and  who  do  not  wish  to  travel  north,  they 
may  serve  as  useful  summer  quarters.  The  accom- 
modation, of  course,  varies,  but  is  very  good  in 
many. 

Schluderbach  (4,730  feet),  Hbhlenstein  (4,615 
feet),  and,  considerably  lower,  Cortina  (3,970  feet), 
in  the  Ampezzothal,  are  all  on  the  high  road  from 
Belluno,  through  the  Val  d'Ampezzo,  to  Toblach,  in 
the  Pusterthal. 

In  a  beautiful  situation,  looking  into  the  Primiero 
valley,  is  the  Hotel  San  Martino  di  Castrozza  (4,800 
feet),  in  a  sheltered  position,  with  shady  woods  in 
the  heart  of  the  Dolomites. 

The  Lago  Mesurina(5,76o  feet),  near  Schluderbach 
and  Monte  Cristallo,  has  a  good  modern  hotel. 

Toblach  (4,080  feet),  Wildbad  Innichen  (4,370 
feet),  Niederdorf  (3,800  feet),  are  all  in  the  Puster- 
thal.  In  the  beautiful  Pragserthal  are  Alt-Prags,  New 
Prags,  and  the  Pragser-Wildsee,  between  4,320  and 
4,910  feet. 

Heiligenblut,  in  Carinthia  (4,600  feet),  is  an 
interesting  and  attractive  resort.  Weissenstein,  with 
an  old  Schloss  restored  and  converted  into  a  hotel 
and  pension  (3,410  feet),  with  mineral  baths,  and 
near  Windisch-Matrei,  is  suitable  for  a  prolonged 
stay. 

On  the  Brenner  line,  besides  Gossensass, 
already  mentioned,  there  are  Brennerbad  (4,390 
feet),  Gries  (3,810  feet),  and  Steinach  (3,430  feet); 
Ladis  (3,880  feet),  and  Obladis  (4,530  feet),  near 
Landeck,  in  the  Inn  valley.  The  latter  has  been 
described  as  "  one  of  the  best  sanitary  establishments 
in  the  Tyrol." 


596      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Lengenfeld  (3,820  feet),  with  sulphur  waters  in 
the  beautiful  Oetzthal. 

Gastein  (3,430  feet),  described  in  Part  I. 

The  Semmering  Hotel  (3,280  fest),  near  the 
Semmering  Station,  a  favourite  resort  of  Austrians. 

Hospenthal,  near  Andermatt,  on  the  St.  Gothard 
road,  between  4,700  and  4,800  feet,  bracing  and 
extremely  accessible,  offers  very  great  facilities  for 
interesting  excursions  in  all  directions. 

The  Hotel  Alpenclub  (4,790  feet),  in  the  beauti- 
ful Maderaner-Thal,  is  in  an  admirable  situation  for 
a  quiet  health  resort.  It  can  only  be  approached  by 
bridle-path  ;  it  has  fine  pine  woods  close  to  it, 
affording  both  shade  and  shelter. 

Pralognan  (4,670  feet),  in  Savoy,  is  beautifully 
situated,  and  within  a  three  hours'  drive  of  Brides- 
les-Bains  (see  Part  L,  p.  116).  It  is  open  only  in  the 
summer,  and  is  much  out  .of  the  beaten  track.  It  is 
well  suited  for  an  after-cure  for  those  who  have  been 
taking  the  cure  at  Brides  or  Salins  Moutiers. 

The  Baths  of  Leuk,  at  the  foot  of  the  Gemmi  (4,600 
feet),  described  in  Part  L,  p.  234,  afford  excellent 
hotel  accommodation  in  a  situation  easy  of  access. 

Morgins  (4,628  feet)  is  situated  in  the  Vald'Illiez, 
and  is  approached  by  a  good  carriage  road  from 
Monthez,  in  the  Rhone  valley,  near  St.  Maurice.  It 
is  not  far  from  Champery,  but  it  is  more  than  1,000 
feet  higher.  It  is  well  protected  from  wind,  and  is 
freer  from  mist  and  fog  than  the  somewhat  lower 
elevations,  and  its  air  is  decidedly  bracing.  It  has 
a  chalybeate  spring,  referred  to  in  Part  I., p.  268.  It  is 
too  much  enclosed  to  be  bright  and  cheerful,  and 
there  is  no  distant  view  of  snow  mountains.  It  may 
be  as  well  to  notice  Champery  (3,450  feet),  in 
connection  with  Morgins,  as  it  is  also  in  the  Val 
d'llliez,  and  is  reached  from  Monthez  in  three  and 
a-half  hours.  It  is  the  highest  village  in  this  valley 
(Morgins  being  in  a  side  valley  which  opens  to  the 
west),  and  has  a  beautiful  and  cheerful  situation. 
There  are  fine  points  of  view  in  the  neighbourhood, 


SUMMER     MOUNTAIN     RESORTS.  597 

especially  of  the  Dent  du  Midi.  There  are  several 
good  hotels  and  pensions,  and  these  are  much  fre- 
quented by  English  people. 

Champery  can  be  recommended  as  a  bright, 
cheerful,  and  accessible  mountain  resort ;  but  the 
climate  is  not  very  bracing,  and  mists  occasionally 
settle  there  for  a  few  hours  at  a  time,  especially  in 
wet  seasons. 

Evolena,  4,521  feet  above  the  sea,  is  approached 
from  Sion  in  the  Rhone  valley  by  carriage  road 
through  the  Val  d' Kerens  (six  hours).  It  has  a  good 
hotel  (H.  de  la  Dent  Blanche)  and  is  picturesquely 
placed  in  a  broad,  grassy  valley,  surrounded  by  pine- 
clad  hills,  beyond  which  are  snow-fields  and  glaciers. 
There  are  several  glacier  and  mountain  excursions  to 
be  made  from  Evolena. 

Adelboden  (4,450  feet),  already  mentioned 
amongst  winter  resorts. 

Comballaz  (4,416  feet),  three  miles  from  Sepey  and 
fifteen  miles  from  Aigle,  in  the  Rhone  valley,  is  an 
easily  accessible  mountain  resort,  and  has  good 
accommodation  for  visitors  making  a  long  stay. 
Beautiful  excursions  can  be  made  in  the  neighbour- 
hood. 

Not  far  from  Comballaz  (about  six  miles)  is 
Ormond  Dessus,  five  hours  from  Aigle  by  diligence. 
It  lies  lower  than  Comballaz  (3,832  feet).  It  has  a 
good  hotel  and  pension  (Des  Diablerets),  and  affords 
the  most  convenient  head-quarters  for  exploring  this 
interesting  neighbourhood. 

In  a  fine  situation,  about  three  hours'  walk  from 
Brunnen,  on  the  Lake  of  Lucerne,  is  the  Stoos  Hotel 
and  Kurhaus  (4,342).  The  accommodation  is  fairly 
good,  the  air  clear  and  bracing,  the  surroundings 
extremely  beautiful.  About  an  hour  nearer  Brunnen 
is  the  well-known  Kurhaus  Axenstein  (2,330  feet), 
and  a  little  lower  the  Hotel  Axenfels.  These  command 
one  of  the  finest  views  of  the  Lake  of  Lucerne. 

Weissenstein  (4,213  feet),  in  the  Swiss  Jura,  is  a 
very  accessible  mountain  resort,  being  a  three  hours' 


598      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

drive  from  Soleure  station.  There  is  a  large  Kurhaus 
there,  surrounded  by  woods  and  pastures.  It  is 
generally  full  in  the  summer.  It  has  a  very  bracing 
climate,  owing  to  its  open  situation. 

"  No  spot  commands  a  better  view  of  the  whole 
Alpine  chain  from  Tyrol  to  Mont  Blanc." 

Villars  sur  Ollon  (4,166  feet)  is  approached 
from  Aigle.  There  is  a  diligence  daily,  which  takes 
three  to  four  hours  to  perform  the  journey.  It 
commands  fine  views  of  the  Rhone  valley  and  the 
surrounding  mountains,  and  has  pleasant  park-like 
grounds  around,  which  offer  many  agreeable  excur- 
sions. It  is  built  on  a  plateau  open  to  the  south  and 
protected  by  wooded  hills  from  the  north.  It  is 
somewhat  exposed  to  mists  in  wet  seasons,  but  is  a 
most  agreeable  and  bracing  resort  in  fine  ones. 

A  little  below  Villars  there  is  good  hotel  accom- 
modation at  Chesiere  (3, 970  feet),  which  commands  a 
beautiful  view. 

The  Schrbcken  (4,134  feet)  is  in  a  wild  and  grand 
situation  in  the  Vorarlberg,  between  Bregenz  and 
Arlberg.  Numerous  interesting  excursions  can  be 
made  into  the  mountains  which  surround  it. 

Courmayeur  (3,986  feet),  on  the  southern  side  of 
Mont  Blanc,  at  the  head  of  the  Val  d'Aosta,  may  be 
approached  from  Chamounix  by  mule-track,  a  journey 
which  usually  takes  three  days,  and  forms  part  of  the 
"tour  du  Mont  Blanc."  It  can  also  be  reached  by  a 
good  carriage  road  across  the  Little  St.  Bernard  from 
Bourg  St.  Maurice  in  the  valley  of  the  Isere.  From 
the  south  it  would  be  reached  easily  via  Aosta.  It 
affords  excellent  hotel  accommodation,  it  is  sur- 
rounded by  the  grandest  scenery,  and  its  climate  is 
mild,  equable,  and  fairly  dry.  It  is  protected  from 
the  north  by  the  Mont  Blanc  range.  It  is  sometimes 
very  warm  in  the  height  of  summer,  but  the  mornings 
and  evenings  are  cool,  and  the  dryness  of  the  air 
renders  the  mid-day  heat  less  oppressive.  It  is  much 
frequented  by  Italians  for  its  mineral  waters  and  its 
mountain  air. 


SUMMER     MOUNTAIN     RESORTS.  599 

Patients  with  chronic  bronchial  catarrh  often  find 
the  summer  climate  of  Courmayeur  extremely  agree- 
able and  useful  to  them. 

The  hotel  on  Monte  Generoso  (3,970  feet),  situated 
between  the  Lakes  of  Lugano  and  Como  and  ap- 
proached by  mountain  railway  from  Capo-Lago,  a 
port  on  the  Lake  of  Lugano  and  a  station  on  the  St. 
Gothard  line,  is  a  pleasant  summer  resort  and  useful 
as  an  after-cure  for  those  who  have  been  taking  baths 
in  the  vicinity  or  in  Italy. 

Alagna  (Hotel  Mbnte  Rosa,  3,953  feet)  is  a 
mountain  resort  in  the  Val  Sesia,  one  of  the  southern 
valleys  of  Monte  Rosa,  much  frequented  by  the 
Italians,  in  a  beautiful  situation,  eight  hours  from 
Macugnaga,  over  the  Turlo  Pass.  It  is  easily  reached 
from  the  south  from  Varallo. 

Bad  Gurnigel  (3,783  feet),  with  important  mineral 
springs,  is  fully  described  in  Part  I.,  p.  196. 

St.  Beatenberg  (3,750  feet),  above  the  Lake  of 
Thun,  is  described  amongst  winter  resorts,  p.  587. 

The  Schlucht,  with  a  hotel  (French)  on  the  sum- 
rait  (3,775  feet)  and  another  (German),  the  Hotel 
Altenberg  (3,300  feet),  on  the  Alsatian  side  of  the 
frontier,  is  a  pass  in  the  Vosges,  between  the  French 
valley  of  Gerardmer  and  the  Alsatian  valley  of 
Minister.  It  has  very  picturesque  surroundings,  and 
commands  fine  views  of  the  Vosges  mountains,  and 
may  be  frequented  as  an  after-cure  by  patients 
from  Contrexeville  and  other  spas  in  the  vicinity. 

The  Waldhaus-Flims  (3,620  feet),  about  ore  and 
a-half  miles  from  Flims  in  the  Vorder  Rhein  Thai, 
is  beautifully  situated  in  the  midst  of  pine  and  beech 
woods,  the  walks  through  which  are  numerous  and 
interesting.  There  is  a  small  lake  a  few  hundred  feet 
below  the  Kurhaus  where  boating  and  bathing  can  be 
indulged  in.  It  is  well  adapted  as  an  after-cure  for 
patients  who  have  gone  through  a  serious  course  of 
mineral  waters.  Some  sixteen  miles  higher  up  the 
valley  is  Dissentis  (3,773  feet).  It  has  the  disadvan- 
tage of  being  on  the  high  road. 


6oo      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

The  village  of  Gryon  (3,632  feet),  seven  miles  from 
Bex,  in  the  Rhone  valley,  is  accessible  by  carriage  road. 
It  is  situated  on  a  sunny  slope  with  fine  views, 

Chateau  d'Oex  (3,498  feet),  accessible  from  Bulle 
by  diligence  in  four  and  a-half  hours — eighteen  miles. 
It  has  several  good  hotels  and  pensions,  and  is  a 
pleasant  and  popular  summer  resort,  in  a  green  open 
valley.  It  is  moderately  bracing.  It  is  only  seven 
miles  from  Chateau  d'Oex  to  Saanen  (Gesseney),  3,556 
feet  above  the  sea,  with  moderate  accommodation,  in 
the  centre  of  the  Gruyere  cheese  manufacture. 

The  baths  of  Lenk  (3,630  feet)  are  described  in 
Part  I.,  p.  233. 

Chaumont  (3,845  feet),  in  the  Jura  Mountains,  is 
reached  in  a  drive  of  two  hours  from  Neuchatel.  A 
forest  of  fir  trees  stretches  down  to  the  shores  of  the 
lake.  There  are  nice  level  walks  around  the  hotel, 
and  good  accommodation.  It  is  protected  towards 
the  north,  but  is  somewhat  exposed  to  the  east  and 
west.  The  weather  is  sometimes  cold  and  foggy, 
and  the  north-east  wind  occasionally  makes  itself 
felt  unpleasantly. 

Soglio  (3,569  feet)  is  in  a  fine  situation  in  the  Val 
Bregaglia,  above  Promontogno,  which  is  nearly  1,000 
lower  (2,681  feet).  It  should  serve  as  a  good  transi- 
tion resort  between  the  Upper  Engadine  and  the 
Italian  lakes. 

Chamounix  (3,445  feet)  is  too  much  overrun  by 
tourists  to  render  it  an  eligible  resort  for  invalids.  Its 
climate  is  tolerably  bracing,  and  in  December  and 
January  many  visitors  go  there  for  tobogganing, 
sleighing,  and  winter  sports. 

Grindelwald,  in  the  Oberland  (3,468  feet),  lies 
in  a  healthy  and  sheltered  situation,  but  has  the 
drawback  of  being  constantly  overcrowded  during 
the  summer  season.  It  gets  a  good  deal  of  the  Fohn 
wind  in  spring  and  autumn.  It  is  much  frequented 
in  winter  for  skating  and  other  winter  sports. 

St.  Cergnes  (3,460  feet),  at  the  foot  of  the  Dole,  the 
highest  summit  of  this  part  of  the  Jura  chain,  is 


SUMMER     MOUNTAIN     RESORTS.  60 1 

about  six  miles  irom  Nyon,  on  the  Lake  of  Geneva. 
Its  accessibility  and  its  picturesque  situation  have 
rendered  it  a  very  popular  mountain  resort  in  summer, 
especially  for  the  Genevese.  It  is  also  the  spot  from 
which  the  Dole  is  ascended,  the  ascent  taking  about 
three  hours. 

St.  Cergnes  is  built  at  the  bottom  of  a  gorge  ex- 
posed to  the  east,  and  is  surrounded  with  pine  woods. 
Its  climate  is  "  essentially  tonic,  but  too  irritating  for 
persons  impressionable  to  cold  winds." 

Hochenschwand  (3,326),  in  the  Black  Forest,  is 
one  of  the  highest  villages  in  the  Duchy  of  Baden  ;  it 
has  good  accommodation,  a  cool,  refreshing  climate 
in  summer,  and  commands  a  magnificent  view  of 
the  Alps.  It  is  twelve  or  thirteen  miles  from  Alb- 
bruck  station  on  the  Bale-Waldshut  railway. 

Engelberg  ("3,315  feet)  has  much  to  recommend 
it  as  a  mountain  health  resort,  having  a  mild  but,  at 
the  same  time,  somewhat  bracing  climate,  adapted 
especially  to  nervous  invalids  who  cannot  support  the 
exciting  air  of  higher  regions  for  any  length  of  time. 
It  is  very  accessible,  being  connected  by  a  mountain 
railway  with  Stanstadt  on  the  Lake  of  Lucerne  (forty 
minutes  from  Lucerne  by  steamboat). 

The  hotel  accommodation  is  excellent.  Engelberg 
lies  in  a  bright  green  valley  almost  completely  sur- 
rounded by  high  mountains,  and  therefore  much  pro- 
tected from  winds.  The  valley  is  six  miles  long  and 
about  a  mile  broad.  It  is  often  resorted  to  by  patients 
who  have  wintered  in  the  south,  and  who  require  a 
mildly  bracing  climate  for  the  summer  months. 

Les  Avants  (3,212  feet)  is  described  with  winter 
resorts,  p.  585. 

Klosters  (4,190  feet  the  highest  point)  and  Bad 
Fideris  (3,580  feet),  the  latter  referred  to  also  in  Part 
I.,  are  easily  accessible  summer  resorts  in  the  Prat- 
tigau  valley  with  stations  on  the  railway  between 
Landquart  and  Davos. 

Seewis,  about  3,000  feet  above  the  sea,  is  in  the  same 
valley  as  the  preceding,  but  nearer  Landquart.  This 


602      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

resort  ought  to  be  very  serviceable  for  residence 
during  the  snow-melting  time,  in  spring  and*  early 
summer,  for  those  who  have  passed  the  winter  at 
Davos  or  in  the  Engadine.  For  the  former  it  is  very 
accessible. 

The  village  has  a  complete  southern  exposure,  and 
commands  an  extensive  view  over  the  lower  half  of 
the  Prattigau.  It  is  built  on  the  southern  slopes  of 
the  Vilan,  which  descend  very  steeply  into  the  valley 
below  Seewis,  thus  affording  most  perfect  surface 
drainage  during  snow-melting  or  after  heavy  falls  of 
rain.  Pleasant  walks  through  meadow  and  forests 
stretch  up  the  mountain  and  around  the  village  on  all 
sides. 

It  is  protected  from  the  north  and  east  by  the 
Scesaplana,  a  mountain  10,000  feet  high,  and  it  has 
a  mild  and  equable  climate  exceedingly  free  from 
wind. 

There  are  a  vast  number  of  other  health  resorts  at 
about  3,000  feet  or  lower  in  Switzerland,  in  the  Tyrol, 
in  Germany,  especially  in  the  Black  Forest,  and 
elsewhere,  but  although  many  of  these  are  admirably 
bracing  resorts,  they  scarcely  present  the  special 
qualities  of  mountain  climates,  or  only  in  a  very 
modified  degree. 

The  following  list  presents  a  choice  of  such 
resorts  : 

Gais,  in  Canton  Appenzell,  a  pretty  village,  devoted  in 
summer  to  the  milk  cure,  and  having  an  elevation  of  3,060 
feet. 

Schonfels  and  Felsenegg,  above  Zug.     3,000  feet. 

Achensee,  a  beautiful  lake  in  North  Tyrol,  about  sixty 
miles  from  Munich,  with  an  hotel  (Achensee-hof)  much  fre- 
quented in  summer.  About  3,000  feet. 

Schluchsee,  in  the  Black  Forest,  nine  miles  from  St.  Blasien  ; 
prettily  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  pine  forest,  and  popular  as  a 
summer  resort.  It  has  a  bath  establishment  for  warm  baths. 
Elevation,  2,958  feet. 

Magglingen,  on  the  slope  of  a  mountain,  above  Bienne  and 
its  lake.     2,900  feet. 

Uetliberg  Hotel,  above  Zurich.     2,860  feet. 

Burgenstock,  with  a  fine  view  over  the  lake,  on  the  Lake  of 


SUMMER     MOUNTAIN     RESORTS.          603 

Lucerne,  with  funicular  railway  ;  good  hotel  and  shady  walks. 
2,850  feet. 

Seelisberg,  a  well-known  and  popular  resort  above  the 
Lake  of  Lucerne.  2,770  feet. 

Frohburg,  near  Olten.     2,770  feet. 

Vorder-Todtmoos,  in  the  Black  Forest,  about  ten  miles  from 
St.  Blasien,  in  a  picturesque  situation.  It  has  a  pilgrimage 
church  much  resorted  to.  2,693  feet. 

Weissbad,  three-quarters  of  an  hour  from  Appenzell.  2,680 
feet. 

Obertsdorf,  nine  miles  from  Southofen  station,  and  about 
fourteen  from  Immenstadt,  in  the  Bavarian  Alps ;  a  favourite 
summer  resort.  2,666  feet. 

Heiden,  above  Rorschach,  on  the  Lake  of  Constance.  Milk 
cure  in  summer.  2,645  feet. 

Vorauen,  at  the  foot  of  the  Glarnisch,  and  about  eight  miles 
from  Glarus,  on  a  beautiful  little  lake,  the  Klonsee,  and 
amidst  fine  scenery.  2,640  feet. 

Walchensee,  a  small  village  near  the  shore  of  the  extremely 
picturesque  lake  of  that  name  in  the  Bavarian  Tyrol.  It  may 
be  approached  from  Munich  or  Innsbruck.  2,630  feet. 

Schliersee,  on  the  lake  of  that  name  in  the  Bavarian  Alps, 
between  Innsbruck  and  Munich,  and  thirty-eight  miles  by  rail 
from  the  latter ;  a  beautiful  spot,  frequented  in  summer. 
2,588  feet. 

Waidring,  four  and  a-half  miles  from  the  St.  Johann  station, 
on  the  Salzburg-Tyrol  railway,  and  on  the  high  road  between 
Worgl  and  Reichenhall ;  much  frequented  in  summer.  2,562 
feet. 

Appenzell.     Milk  cure  in  summer.     2,550  feet. 

St.  Blasien,  in  the  Black  Forest,  sixteen  miles  from  Alb- 
bruck  and  twenty  from  Waldshut  stations  ;  a  popular  summer 
resort  in  a  protected  situation,  surrounded  by  pine-clad  hills ; 
open  also  in  winter  ;  fine  views.  2,532  feet. 

Zell-am-See,  on  the  railway  between  Salzburg  and  Worgl, 
a  beautiful  retired  situation  on  the  shore  of  the  Zellersee. 
2,469  feet. 

Thusis,  three  hours  from  Chur,  at  the  entrance  to  the  Via 
Mala.  2,450  feet. 

Monnetier,  on  the  Saleve,  near  Geneva.     2,336  feet. 

Schonbrunn,  a  hydropathic  establishment  near  Zug.  2,300 
feet. 

Triberg  lies  in  the  heart  of  the  Black  Forest;  it  has  a 
station  on  the  railway  between  Offenburg  and  Constance. 
There  is  a  fine  waterfall  close  at  hand.  It  is  a  pleasant  and 
popular  summer  resort.  2,245  feet. 

Charnex,  beautifully  situated  above  Clarens.     2,231  feet. 

Gerardmer,  a  popular  and  pleasant  resort  in  the  French 
Vosges,  with  a  pretty  lake  and  a  hydropathic  establishment, 


604      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

much  resorted  to  by  the  people  of  Nancy  and  neighbouring 
towns,  and  as  an  after- cure  by  patients  from  adjacent  spas. 
2,200  feet. 

Hohwald,  in  the  Vosges,  nine  miles  by  carriage-road  from 
Barr  railway  station,  in  a  sheltered  and  picturesque  situation  ; 
much  frequented  in  summer.  2,198  feet. 

The  Geissbach  Hotel,  above  the  Lake  of  Brienz,  and  near  the 
celebrated  falls,  with  good  accommodation,  but  overcrowded 
with  tourists.  2,166  feet. 

Kochel,  on  the  Kochelsee,  in  the  Bavarian  Alps.     1,963  feet. 

Starnberg, 'on  the  lake  of  that  name  (also  called  Wiirmsee) ; 
about  seventeen  miles  from  Munich  by  rail ;  crowded  in  sum- 
mer. 1,945  feet. 

Cheimsee  Hotel,  fifty-six  miles  from  Munich  and  sixteen  from 
Rosenheim,  on  the  line  of  railway  between  Munich  and 
Salzburg.  1,745  feet. 

Divonne,  three  and  a-half  miles  from  Coppet,  on  the  Lake 
of  Geneva,  a  well-known  hydropathic  establishment.  1,543 
feet. 

Distant   Mountain   Resorts. 

Out  of  Europe  there  are  several  elevated  resorts 
for  the  treatment  of  consumption  and  other  maladies 
which,  though  distant,  are  becoming  well  known,  and 
are  resorted  to  occasionally  by  European  invalids. 
In  the  Peruvian  Andes,  near  the  city  of  Lima,  there 
are  some  elevated  resorts  which  have  afforded  some 
of  the  best  results  that  have  ever  been  obtained  from 
the  climatic  treatment  of  phthisis.  It  must  be 
remembered  that  in  regions  near  the  equator,  even 
elevations  of  7,000  or  8,000  feet  have  a  temperature 
in  winter  as  high  as  our  own  summer  temperature, 
and  higher  elevations  than  these  have  often  to  be 
resorted  to. 

The  Valley  of  the  Jauja  river,  in  the  Peruvian 
Andes,  reaches  an  elevation  of  from  8,000  to  10,500 
feet.  The  towns  of  Turma,  Jauja,  and  Huancayo  are 
the  chief  resorts  for  consumptive  patients  from  Lima. 
At  Huancayo  (or  at  Jauja,  which  is  cooler)  the  sky  is 
said  to  be  always  clear  and  sunny,  the  atmosphere 
always  pure  and  bracing,  and  the  temperature  very 
equable,  the  annual  range  not  exceeding  10  or  12°  F. 
Invalids  are  enabled  to  take  much  out-door  exercise 
and  to  be  constantly  in  the  open  air. 


DISTANT    MOUNTAIN     RESORTS.  605 

Other  resorts  in  the  Andes  or  the  Cordilleras 
which  have  been  found  well  suited  to  the  treatment 
of  consumption,  actual  or  threatening,  are  the 
following  : 

Santa  Fe"  de  Bogota,  the  capital  of  the  United 
States  of  Colombia,  lies  on  a  plateau  at  an  elevation 
of  8,665  feet,  and  is  in  much  local  repute  ;  as  also  is 
Quito,  the  capital  of  Ecuador,  at  about  the  same 
elevation. 

Cuzco,  the  ancient  capital  of  Peru,  is  higher, 
11,400  feet;  and  La  Paz,  in  Bolivia,  still  higher, 
12,200  feet. 

But  none  of  these  resorts  is  so  suitable  for 
European  invalids  as  many  others  that  are  more 
accessible. 

Consumptive  patients  in  Brazil  are  usually  sent 
to  the  high  resorts  in  the  Cordilleras.  Other  moun- 
tains of  the  Argentine  Republic  offer  many  suitable 
sites  for  sanatoria  for  pulmonary  invalids. 

These  mountain  districts  extend,  at  higher  or 
lower  elevations,  from  the  province  of  Cordoba  to  the 
valley  of  Rimac. 

The  mountains  of  Cordoba  are  preferable  for 
consumptive  patients  to  the  Andine  heights  of  Bolivia, 
as  they  contain  a  greater  variety  of  objects  to  divert 
the  attention  and  amuse. 

The  ancient  city  of  Mexico  lies  on  an  extensive 
plateau  from  6,000  to  8,000  feet  above  the  sea  level, 
surrounded  by  mountains,  and  having  a  temperate 
and  agreeable  climate,  well  suited  to  the  treatment  of 
pulmonary  tuberculosis.  The  same  may  be  said  of 
the  city  of  Puebla,  seventy-six  miles  east-south-east 
of  Mexico,  which  is  also  situated  on  a  high  plateau, 
7,215  feet  above  the  sea. 

The  Rocky  Mountains,  in  Colorado,  United  States, 
possess  several  elevated  stations  which  are  used  as 
sanatoria  for  consumptive  patients.  Denver  is  the 
best  known  of  these  to  Europeans.  It  is  situated  at 
an  elevation  of  5,280  feet,  and  has  a  cool,  dry,  and 
stimulating  climate.  The  rainfall  there  is  small,  the 


606      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

annual  mean  being  14^  inches,  and  Denver  also  has 
many  clear  days,  42  per  cent,  as  compared  with  27  in 
New  York,  allowing  therefore  of  much  out-door  exer- 
cise; Its  mean  annual  temperature  is  47°  F.  September 
and  October  are  the  best  months  lor  commencing 
residence  there ;  the  patient  then  gets  gradually 
acclimatised  to  the  cold  in  winter,  which  is  at  times 
very  severe.  The  days  are  warm  and  bright,  but  the 
nights  are  very  cold,  and  indeed  are  cool  all  the  year 
round.  There  is  not  much  snow,  and  that  falls 
mostly  in  early  spring.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  dis- 
agreeable wind  during  the  spring  months.  From  the 
middle  of  September  to  the  middle  of  April  there  is 
scarcely  any  rain.  Changes  of  temperature  are  often 
sudden  and  extreme,  and  precautions  have  to  be  taken 
against  chill.  The  city  of  Denver  stands  about 
fifteen  miles  east  of  the  'foot  of  the  mountains.  One 
of  the  drawbacks  to  Denver  as  a  sanatorium  for 
invalids  is  the  fact  that  it  is  a  populous  city,  with  the 
amusements  and  excitement  inseparable  Irom  such  a 
place.  It  possesses  good  hotels  and  lodging-houses, 
and  there  are  many  sanatoria  for  consumptive 
patients.  The  lower  part  of  the  city  has  a  damp 
soil.  To  those  who  need  not  only  a  cure,  but  an 
occupation  or  a  career,  Denver  may  furnish  one. 

There  is  also  an  excellent  sanatorium  at  Boulder, 
in  the  heart  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  at  an  elevation 
of  5,500  feet,  twenty-five  miles  north-west  of  Denver. 
It  is  the  seat  of  the  Colorado  State  University. 

Seventy-five  miles  south  of  Denver  is  Colorado 
Springs,  a  city  with  21,000  inhabitants.  It  is 
situated  on  a  plateau  five  miles  from  the  foothills  of 
the  Rocky  Mountains  and  six  from  the  base  of  Pike's 
Peak,  at  an  elevation  of  6,000  feet  above  the  sea.  So 
that  while  Denver  is  about  the  altitude  of  Davos, 
Colorado  Springs  is  about  the  altitude  of  St.  Moritz 
Kulm.  Its  situation  is  a  very  sheltered  one,  and  the 
town  being  built  over  a  large  area,  there  is  plenty 
of  ground  around  most  of  the  dwelling-houses. 
The  streets  are  wide  and  lined  with  shady  trees.  The 


ROCKY     MOUNTAIN     RESORTS.  607 

ground  has  a  very  gentle  slope  from  north  to  south. 
There  is  a  top  soil  of  two  feet  resting  on  seventy  feet 
of  sand  and  gravel,  which  is  very  porous,  so  that  there 
is  a  perfect  natural  drainage.  A  supply  of  pure  water 
is  obtained  from  the  mountain-side  six  miles  off.  The 
air  is  dry,  the  relative  humidity  in  winter  being  50  per 
cent.  The  mean  annual  rainfall  is  15!  inches.  There  are 
high  winds  in  March  and  April.  There  are  two  good 
sanatoria  there,  and  camping  out  in  tents  is  practicable 
during  a  considerable  part  of  the  year.  There  are 
several  good  boarding-houses  and  comfortable  villa 
residences.  Farm  produce  is  good  and  of  moderate 
price,  but  luxuries  are  dear.  There  are  plenty  of 
horses  and  carriages  to  be  hired,  and  the  rides  and 
drives  around  are  numerous  and  interesting.  There  is 
no  lack  of  pleasant  society,  or  of  churches,  schools, 
and  places  of  entertainment.  But  there  is  no  saloon 
or  public  bar  in  the  town,  the  sale  of  liquor  being 
prohibited. 

There  are  some  other  less  frequented  altitude 
resorts  in  the  Rocky  Mountains.  The  following  may 
be  mentioned :  Canon  City  at  an  elevation  of  5,360  feet, 
situated  south  of  Pike's  Peak.  It  has  hot  mineral 
springs  used  in  the  treatment  of  rheumatism.  It  is 
warmer  and  dryer  than  Denver  or  Colorado  Springs. 

Glenwood  (5,600  feet),  160  miles  west  of  Denver,  is 
an  excellent  winter  resort  on  account  of  its  sheltered 
position.  It  lies  in  a  protected  valley  on  the  western 
slope  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  It  is  much  less  windy 
and  dusty  than  the  resorts  on  the  eastern  slope. 
Glenwood  has  many  thermal  springs. 

Estes  Park  (7,300  feet),  Manitou  Park,  San  Lui 
Park,  and  many  others  are  as  yet  undeveloped  as 
resorts  for  invalids. 

In  these  Rocky  Mountain  resorts  there  is  great 
variation  between  sun  and  shade  and  day  and  night 
temperature  ;  but  they  have  very  many  clear  days 
and  great  dryness  of  atmosphere.  The  most  agreeable 
seasons  are  autumn  and  early  winter ;  the  spring  is 
windy  and  changeable,  and  the  summer  rather  too 


608      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

hot ;  but  during  the  hot  summer  months  invalids  camp 
out  or  go  to  higher  resorts. 

Comparing  these  with  the  Swiss  altitude  resorts,  it 
has  been  pointed  out  that  the  latter  are  more  enclosed 
and  less  open,  with  a  colder  and  rather  moister  climate, 
but  with  less  wind  and  dust.  Owing  to  the  very  few 
days  in  winter  during  which  snow  lies  on  the  ground 
at  Colorado  Springs  the  visitors  escape  the  disagreeable 
snow-melting  period  in  the  spring  which  is  so  trying 
in  the  Swiss  resorts. 

There  is  more  possible  and  more  actual  sunshine  in 
winter  at  Denver  and  Colorado  Springs  than  at  Davos 
or  St.  Moritz.  On  the  other  hand,  Colorado  Springs 
has  occasionally  very  disagreeable  dust  storms,  accom- 
panied by  a  very  dry  and  electric  state  of  the  atmo- 
sphere. 

For  those  who  like  a  sea  voyage  and  who  do  not 
fear  a  long  and  somewhat  rough  land  journey;  the 
South  African  highlands  present  many  attractions  with 
their  very  dry  and  bracing  climate,  hot  summers,  and 
cold  winters.  But  it  is  difficult  to  write  about  South 
African  resorts  at  present,  and  until  the  country 
gets  more  settled.  We  may,  however,  say  that 
Bloemfontein,  4,700  feet  above  the  sea,  has  a  con- 
siderable reputation  as  a  sanatorium  for  persons  with 
delicate  chests.  Its  climate  has  proved  very  valuable 
in  arresting  phthisis.  It  is  very  dry,  having  a  moun- 
tain range  between  it  and  the  Indian  Ocean  to  the 
east,  and  having  an  extensive  plateau  of  dry,  open 
country  to  the  north  and  west.  Its  summers  are  very 
hot,  its  winters  very  cold,  but  the  dryness  of  the  air 
'  enables  invalids  to  bear  these  extremes  of  temperature 
without  suffering  any  injury. 

There  are  many  other  elevated  resorts  in  South 
Africa,  in  the  Orange  River  Colony,  and  in  the  Trans- 
vaal, but  it  is  clear  that  they  can  only  be  suited  at 
present  to  a  very  limited  class  of  invalids,  and,  in 
the  present  somewhat  unsettled  condition  of  these 
countries,  it  is  better  to  await  developments. 


CHAPTER    VII. 
WINTER    QUARTERS. 

A  Review  of  some  Winter  Health  Resorts. 

IN  searching  for  a  winter  health  resort,  what  do  we 
desire  to  avoid,  and  what  do  we  desire  to  find  ?  There 
are  three  things  which  we  desire  to  avoid,  especially 
when  they  are  found  combined,  as  in  our  own 
winter  climate,  and  these  three  things  are  damp, 
cold,  and  variability.  It  is  the  combination  of  these 
three  conditions  which  makes  the  winter  climate  of 
England  so  unsuitable  to  many  persons.  It  is  respon- 
sible for  the  catarrhal  conditions  which  are  so  common, 
and  which  often  lead  to  greater  disturbances  of  health. 
To  it  is  due  the  prevalence  of  chronic  rheumatism,  and 
of  many  forms  of  neuralgia,  and  not  unfrequently  its 
chilling  influence  determines  in  delicate  persons  the 
occurrence  of  serious  inflammation  of  internal  organs. 
The  combination  of  climatic  conditions  necessarily 
associated  with  a  clouded  and  sunless  sky  produces 
also  a  depressing  effect  on  the  mind  and  spirits.  The 
more  sensitive  the  organisation,  the  more  acutely  will 
these  unfavourable  conditions  be  felt. 

What  we  seek,  then,  in  a  winter  climate  is  the 
opposite  of  these  conditions,  viz.  dryness,  warmth, 
and  equability.  But  it  is  always  difficult  to  get  all  we 
want ;  besides,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  while  some  invalids 
require  a  combination  of  warmth  and  moisture,  others 
need  warmth  and  dryness,  while  others  do  better  in  a 
combination  of  cold  and  dry  air ;  but  no  one  wants 
a  combination  of  cold  and  damp,  and  all  desire  sun- 
heat,  a  clear  sky,  and  as  much  of  it  as  possible  ;  and 
we  shall  find,  as  a  rule,  that  the  value  of  a  winter  climate 
depends  on  the  number  of  clear  and  sunny  days,  or 
the  number  of  days  and  hours  during  which  an  invalid 


6io      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

can  take  exercise  or  be  in  the  open  air.  The  mere 
absolute  amount  of  rainfall  seems  of  small  importance, 
provided  the  nature  and  inclination  of  the  soil  are  such 
that  the  water  drains  off  rapidly  from  the  ground, 
and  that  there  are  long  or  frequent  intervals  of 
clear,  sunny  skies.  Indeed,  occasional  heavy  rains 
often  have  a  salubrious  effect  in  cooling  and  cleansing 
the  atmosphere.  It  seems  also  clear  that  diurnal 
variability  of  temperature,  even  within  wide  limits, 
does  not  render  a  climate  unhealthy  even  to  invalids, 
if  it  is  also  a  dry  climate  and  the  invalid  learns  to 
protect  himself  from  the  danger  of  sudden  chill. 
Nor  does  humidity,  when  accompanied  with  moderate 
warmth,  seem  to  be  necessarily  unwholesome,  especi- 
ally in  marine  climates.  In  all  these  matters  individual 
peculiarities  have  to  be  taken  into  account.  There 
are  many  other  details  which  cannot  be  considered 
here.  With  regard  to  the  expense  attending  a  change 
of  winter  quarters,  we  are  content  to  quote  the 
words  of  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson  :  "  Sir,  your  health  is 
worth  more  than  it  can  cost." 

Within  the  limits  at  our  disposal  an  exhaustive 
survey  of  the  whole  series  of  winter  health  resorts 
would  be  impossible.  It  will  be  expedient,  therefore, 
to  confine  our  attention  to  those  which  are  tolerably ' 
accessible.  We  have,  in  other  chapters,  entered  fully 
into  the  question  of  the  utility  and  scope  of  high 
mountain  health  resorts  in  winter. 

We  will  now  give  our  attention,  in  the  first  place, 
to  Egypt,  which  has,  since  the  British  occupation, 
become  a  very  popular  winter  resort,  its  climate  re- 
sembling in  some  respects  the  climate  of  high  moun- 
tain vallej^s.  It  is  dry  and  exhilarating,  and  it 
presents  a  wide  range  between  day  and  night  tem- 
peratures, depending  upon  the  powerful  heating  effects 
of  the  sun's  rays  during  the  day,  and  the  great  and 
rapid  radiation,  after  sunset,  of  the  heat  absorbed 
during  the  day,  into  clear  cloudless  space.  The 
climate  of  Upper  Egypt  is,  however,  on  the  whole  a 
more  reliable  climate  than  that  of  any  high  mountain 


EGYPT-.  6n 

.valley,  and  less  subject  to  variations.  The  objections 
to  Egypt  are  its  distance,  and  the  expense  attending 
the  journey  ;  and,  moreover,  whichever  route  you 
select,  it  is  impossible  to  avoid  a  sea  voyage  of  at 
least  three  days. 

There  is  only  one  period  of  the  year  when  Egypt 
is  visited  as  a  health  resort,  and  that  is  from  the 
middle  of  November  to  the  beginning  of  April,  when 
it  is  considered  to  have  the  "  finest  climate  in  the 
world."  There  are  several  routes  from  England  to 
Egypt.  The  shortest  is  that  through  Italy  to 
Brindisi.  From  Brindisi  to  Port  Said  is  a  three 
days'  voyage  by  steamer.  In  this  way  the  journey 
to  Egypt  is  accomplished  in  five  or  six  days.  The 
longest  but  least  fatiguing  for  those  who  do  not  mind 
a  sea  voyage,  is  that  by  P.  and  O.  boat  from  London 
to  Port  Said,  which  takes  twelve  or  thirteen  days. 
There  is  a  third  route  via  Marseilles,  at  which  port 
all  the  large  P.  and  O.  steamers  call.  This  is, 
perhaps,  the  most  popular  and  convenient  route.  It 
is  important  to  leave  Egypt  before  the  heat  becomes 
too  great — i.e.  not  later  than  the  middle  of  April— 
and  as  the  transition  from  the  climate  of  Egypt  to 
that  of  England  should  not  be  abrupt  it  is  undesirable 
to  return  to  England  before  the  end  of  May.  The 
interval  may  be  conveniently  spent  in  a  variety  of 
places  of  interest,  in  Syria,  Italy,  Greece,  or  some  of 
the  islands  of  the  Mediterranean.  If  it  is  thought 
best  to  remain  later  in  Egypt,  Ramleh,  near 
Alexandria,  in  Lower  Egypt,  is  the  most  suitable 
place  at  this  period  of  the  season. 

The  chief  characteristic  of  the  climate  of  Egypt 
is  its  dry  ness. 

"  In  the  richly  wooded  districts  of  the  equatorial  regions 
of  Africa,  where  the  numerous  affluents  of  the  Nile  take 
their  rise,  almost  continuous  rains  prevail ;  but  in  the  deserts 
of  Nubia  and  Upper  Egypt,  through  which  the  great  rivei 
flows  in  its  course  to  the  sea,  sometimes  years  pass  without 
a  single  shower.  The  absence  of  rain  and  absence  of  vegeta- 
tion are  obviously  related  to  one  another,  The  Mediterranean 


612      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

coast  and  the  Delta  are  less   dry   than  the   upper  parts  of. 
the  country,  and  Cairo  occupies  an  intermediate  position. "— 

(Flower.) 

We  have  the  authority  of  the  same  writer  for  the 
statement  that  in  an  exceptionally  wet  season  there 
were  only  eleven  days  out  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  in 
which  rain  fell,  and  on  some  of  these  it  was  scarcely 
more  than  a  few  drops.  The  days,  as  a  general  rule, 
are  much  like  one  another,  fine,  clear,  bright,  and 
sunny.  Another  characteristic  of  the  winter  climate 
of  Egypt  is  the  warmth  or  heat  of  the  day  (70°  to 
75°  F.  in  the  shade,  and  very  much  higher  in  the 
sun),  as  contrasted  with  the  coldness,  freshness,  and 
heavy  dews  of  the  nights.  In  the  night  the  ther- 
mometer often  falls  to  40°  F.  or  lower,  seldom  quite 
to  freezing-point,  so  that  there  is  a  very  considerable 
range  between  the  day  and  night  temperature,  as 
there  also  is  between  sun  and  shade  temperature.  It 
has  been  justly  observed  that  this  is  an  advantage  to 
many  constitutions — that  a  sultry  night  following  a 
hot  day  often  induces  languor  and  depression,  and 
that  the  freshness  of  the  Egyptian  night  and  early 
morning  is  invigorating  and  bracing,  and  enables  one 
better  to  bear  the  fatigues  and  heat  of  the  day. 
Persons  with  delicate  chests  must  be  careful  to 
protect  themselves  by  appropriate  clothing,  and  by 
retiring  before  nightfall,  to  avoid  the  sudden  change 
from  the  day  to  the  night  temperature,  which  they 
might  otherwise  find  trying  or  injurious.  The  air  of 
the  desert — that  is.,  all  the  country  above  the  level 
of  the  autumnal  overflow  of  the  Nile — is  universally 
admitted  to  be  most  invigorating  ;  a  refreshing  breeze, 
in  winter  at  least,  generally  tempers  even  the  heat 
and  glare  of  the  mid-day  sun,  and  in  the  morning  and 
evening  it  is  decidedly  cool.  Nowhere,  on  land,  is 
air  so  pure,  as  nowhere  else  is  there  such  complete 
absence  of  all  decomposing  organic  matters  in  the 
soil ;  it  has  been  well  compared  with  the  air  of  the 
open  sea. 

The  thing  of  chief  importance  for  the  invalid  in 


EGYPT.  613 

Egypt  is  to  breathe  as  much  of  the  desert  air  as 
possible.  It  has  been  objected  to  Cairo  *  that  the 
hotels  and  all  the  modern  houses  are  built  on  low 
ground,  which,  until  reclaimed,  used  to  be  subject  to 
the  overflow  ;  and  that  the  whole  of  the  ancient 
city,  with  its  crowded  population  and  filthy  streets, 
is  between  them  and  the  desert ;  that  the  prevailing 
winds,  being  from  the  north,  blow  directly  across  the 
Delta.  "This,  and  the  great  amount  of  not  very 
clean  dust  which  fills  the  air  of  a  great  city  full  of 
people  and  animals,  form  the  principal  drawbacks  to 
Cairo  as  a  residence  for  invalids."  But  it  is  not 
necessary  for  the  invalid  to  live  in  Cairo,  for  the 
hotel  at  the  Pyramids  (Mena  House)  is  within  half 
an  hour  by  electric  tram  of  the  city,  and  affords 
excellent  accommodation  in  purer,  fresher,  and  dryer 
air  than  at  Cairo.  Mena  House  is  one  of  the  best  hotels 
in  Egypt,  and  is  open  from  Nov.  ist  to  May  i5th. 
It  is  built  at  the  foot  of  the  Pyramids,  and  has  golf 
links  close  by  and  a  large  swimming  bath,  facilities 
for  quail  shooting,  and  other  attractions.  Or  the 
invalid  can  find  suitable  quarters  at  Helouan  les 
Bains.  Of  its  sulphur  baths  we  have  already  given  an 
account  in  Part  I.  (p.  203)  ;  it  is  therefore  only  neces- 
sary to  add  a  few  words  with  regard  to  its  climate  as 
compared  with  that  of  Cairo.  Helouan  is  about 
sixteen  miles  to  the  south  of  Cairo,  and  about  three 
miles  from  the  Nile  and  144  feet  above  it.  It  is 
built  on  a  desert  plateau  at  the  foot  of  the  Tura 
Hills.  It  has  good  hotels  and  a  great  number  of 
villas,  and  frequent  trains  connect  it  with  Cairo,  the 
journey  taking  about  half  an  hour.  It  has  good  golf 

*  It  is  interesting  to  note  what  Professor  Peterson,  of  New 
York,  says  of  Cairo.  "  In  winter  one  may  spend  some  very 
miserable,  cold,  damp  days  in  Cairo.  I  experienced  about 
Christmas  time  last  year  four  most  uncomfortable  rainy  and 
cold  days  in  succession  in  Cairo."  The  same  writer  observes  : 
"  The  desert  is  sometimes  piercing  cold  at  night.  Water  in  a 
shallow  dish  will  occasionally  freeze  on  exposure  to  a  desert 
night  wind," 


614      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

links,  and  is  well  provided  with  distractions.  It  is 
surrounded  by  desert,  and  its  air  is  therefore  very 
free  from  organic  or  other  impurities.  On  an  average 
it  has  nearly  eight  hours  of  daily  sunshine  during 
the  winter  months,  and  its  atmosphere  seems  to  be  a 
little  warmer,  as  well  as  dryer  and  freer  from  dust 
than  that  of  Cairo.  Its  relative  humidity  in  winter 
varies  between  thirty  and  sixty  per  cent. ;  in  Cairo  it 
is  63*2. 

Many  invalids  will  doubtless  prefer  to  go  on,  by 
rail  or  Nile  steamer,  to  Upper  Egypt,  and  pass  the 
winter  at  Luxor  or  Assouan.-  Others  will  take  the 
costly  Nile  voyage  in  a  dahabeeah,  and  a  few  may 
determine  to  camp  out  in  the  desert. 

Luxor,  450  miles  from  Cairo,  is  reached  by  Nile 
steamer  in  five  and  a-half  days,  or  by  rail  (express 
sleeping  cars)  in  sixteen  to  seventeen  hours.  The 
latter  is  best  for  most  invalids,  especially  if  they 
arrive  late  in  the  season.  Luxor  has  an  admirable 
climate  from  November  to  the  middle  of  March, 
when  it  gets  too  hot.  It  is  warmer,  dryer,  and 
sunnier,  and  has  less  wind,  than  Cairo  and  its  suburbs. 
It  is  practically  rainless — one  or  two  brief  showers 
being  all  that  has  been  observed  in  the  winter 
months. 

Invalids  can  be  in  the  open  desert  air  for  a  great 
number  of  hours  daily,  and  its  effects  are  most  tonic 
and  stimulating. 

The  prevailing  wind  is  from  the  north.  The 
drawbacks  to  Luxor  are  that,  being  close  to  some  of 
the  most  interesting  monuments  of  Egypt,  its  hotels 
are,  in  the  height  of  the  season,  overcrowded,  and 
the  place  is  overrun  by  swarms  of  tourists.  Invalids 
should  arrive  early  in  the  season,  before  the  end  of 
November,  so  as  to  make  sure  of  good  accommoda- 
tion, which  should  be  engaged  beforehand. 

Assouan  is  130  miles  south  of  Luxor,  and  close  to 
the  first  cataract.  It  is  connected  by  rail  with 
Luxor.  The  town  stands  high  above  the  river.  It 


EGYPT.  615 

is  drier  and  warmer  than  Luxor,  but  is  said  to  be 
more  windy.  Overcrowding  in  the  height  of  the 
season  was  at  one  time  complained  of,  but  hotel 
accommodation  has  been,  of  late  years,  greatly  in- 
creased. Assouan  has  all  the  characters  of  the 
Egyptian  climate  in  a  very  marked  degree,  viz. 
warmth,  dryness,  almost  uninterrupted  sunshine,  and 
purity  of  air  from  the  desert.  Its  mean  minimum 
temperature  in  winter,  occurring  just  before  sunrise, 
has  been  found  to  be  6°  or  7°  F.  higher  than  at  Luxor 
or  Cairo,  a  fact  of  importance  to  certain  invalids. 

"  The  relative  humidity  is  so  low  that  dew  never 
falls,  and  the  annual  rainfall  is  hardly  measurable." 
Risk  of  chill  at  nightfall  to  the  invalid  is  said  to  be 
much  less  than  at  other  Egyptian  resorts. 

Of  the  Nile  voyage,  made  in  a  dahabeeah,  little 
need  be  said  here  in  the  way  of  description. 


"It  is  a  perfect  rest  from  nearly  all  the  little  cares  and 
troubles  of  the  world ;  the  weather  is  almost  always  fine,  so 
that  nearly  the  whole  day  may  be  spent  on  deck,  and  the 
variety  and  exercise  of  a  walk  on  shore  can  generally  be  got 
at  some  time  or  other  in  the  twenty-four  hours  ;  the  life  on 
board  a  dahabeeah  is  generally  a  healthy  one.  It  is  essen- 
tially an  out-of-doors,  country  life.  The  air,  though  perhaps 
not  equal  to  that  of  the  higher  parts  of  the  desert,  is  pure  and 
bracing ;  for,  owing  to  the  narrowness  of  the  strip  of  fertile  land 
on  the  sides  of  the  river,  the  air  is  practically  that  of  the  desert. 
On  the  first  subsidence  of  the  water,  after  the  autumnal  over- 
flow, the  banks  are  muddy  and  damp,  so  it  is  well  not  to  take 
to  the  water  until  December,  by  which  time  they  are  well  dried 
by  the  sun,  though  January,  February,  and  March  are  the  best 
months.  The  higher  the  river  is  ascended,  so  the  salubrity 
increases.  The  nights  are  generally  clear,  bright,  and  cool, 
and  warm  clothing  is  essential." — (Flower.) 

As  to  camping  out  in  the  Nubian  desert  under 
tents,  Sir  Hermann  Weber  testifies  that  in  his  ex- 
perience it  has  given  results  "in  several  advanced 
cases  of  consumption  altogether  superior  to  any 
obtained  from  any  health  resort,  or  from  any  other 
treatment." 


616      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Egypt  as  a  winter  resort  has,  then,  the  following 
advantages  :  i.  It  is  almost  rainless,  especially  in 
upper  Egypt ;  at  Cairo  the  rainfall  is  a  little  over  one 
inch  annually.  There  are  heavy  dews  at  night  along 
the  Nile  and  in  the  desert  near  the  Nile.  2.  It  has 
a  generally  dry  and  clear  atmosphere  ;  attended,  it 
is  true,  with  great  changes  of  temperature  in  the 
twenty- four  hours,  a  circumstance  which  proves  in- 
vigorating rather  than  otherwise,  if  the  invalid  is 
careful  to  protect  himself  from  the  sudden  fall  or 
temperature  at  sunset,  as  well  as  through  the  cold 
nights.  3.  Extreme  cold,  as  marked  by  the  ther- 
mometer, is  excessively  rare.  The  mean  winter 
temperature  at  Cairo  is  about  58°  F.,  that  of  the 
coldest  month  (January)  is  53*6°  F.,  and  it  rarely 
falls  below  freezing-point.  4.  Its  climate  allows  or 
constant  exercise  in  the  open  air,  and  exposure,  there- 
fore, to  the  tonic  effect  of  fresh  air  and  sunlight.  The 
climate  of  the  desert  has  been  found  to  be  dryer  and 
to  have  a  much  smaller  daily  range  than  that  of 
adjacent  towns. 

Invalids  doing  the  Nile  voyage  should  be  careful 
not  to  expose  themselves,  on  coming  down  the  river, 
to  the  cold  north  wind  when  it  blows  strongly,  as  it 
does  sometimes  for  days  together,  and  as  there  is  a 
great  fall  of  temperature 'at  sunset  they  should  always 
retire  to  the  saloon  a  little  before  sun-down. 

The  climate  of  Egypt  then  is  tonic  and  stimulating, 
and  is  useful  in  a  great  variety  of  chronic  ailments, 
the  chief  of  which  are  the  following  :  In  cases  of 
early  phthisis  or  in  those  cases  of  torpid  phthisis 
which  have  a  tendency,  even  in  this  country,  to  run 
a  protracted  course  ;  it  is  of  great  value  in  chronic 
gout  and  rheumatism,  and  in  those  vascular  and 
renal  changes  which  gout  induces  ;  catarrhal  condi- 
tions find  relief  and  cure  there,  so  that  cases  of 
chronic  bronchial,  laryngeal,  and  pharyngeal  catarrh 
get  well  in  Egypt,  as  do  also  some  cases  of  asthma. 
Certain  forms  of  anaemia,  persons  suffering  from 
exhaustion  of  the  nervous  system  from  too  great 


EGYPT.  61; 

excitement,  worry,  or  undue  application  to  business 
or  study,  are  precisely  the  cases  for  the  Nile  voyage. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  those  numerous  cases  of 
intractable  dyspepsia  associated  with  over- work  or 
worry.  Cases  of  Bright's  disease,  when  not  too  far 
advanced,  are  often  greatly  benefited  by  the  warm, 
dry  air  of  Upper  Egypt. 

The  climate  of  Egypt  is  not  limited  simply  to  the 
cure  of  early  phthisis,  but  advanced  chronic  cases 
often  do  well  there,  though  it  is  considered  inex- 
pedient that  they  should  venture  on  the  Nile  voyage 
or  go  beyond  the  neighbourhood  of  Cairo.  Cases  of 
febrile  phthisis  with  a  tendency  to  rapid  progress  in 
irritable  or  highly  nervous  constitutions  must  not, 
however,  be  sent  to  so  exciting  a  climate.  The 
same  remarks  apply  to  cases  with  a  tendency  to 
haemorrhage. 

As  the  journey  to  Egypt  is  long  and  costly,  it  is 
desirable  that  invalids  should  not  undertake  it  without 
realising  clearly  the  nature  of  its  climate  ;  we  there- 
fore wish  to  recapitulate  and  enforce  certain  draw- 
backs to  be  encountered,  and  certain  precautions  to 
be  taken. 

Although  a  warm  climate,  it  is  one  in  which  in- 
valids may  feel  uncomfortably  cold,  and  there  is  always 
danger  of  chill  at  sunset.  Sensitive  persons  will  tell 
you  they  "  never  felt  so  cold  anywhere  as  in  Egypt," 
which  is  owing  to  frequent  cold  high  winds  and  the 
great  difference  between  sun  and  shade,  and  day  and 
night,  temperature ;  this  is  especially  the  case  round 
Cairo,  and  on  the  Nile,  and  in  the  months  of 
December  and  January.  The  cold  felt  is  quite  out 
of  proportion  to  the  temperature  registered  by  the 
thermometer.  Coining  down  the  Nile,  facing  the 
north  wind,  the  cold,  after  sunset,  is  intense.  It 
follows  that  invalids  need  more  warm  clothing  there 
than  at  home,  and  should  bring  their  furs  ;  they 
should  be  indoors  before  sunset,  and  should  not  go 
out  till  two  hours  after  sunrise  ;  they  should  avoid 
over-fatigue  in  sight-seeing.  The  steamboat  voyage 


6i8      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

on  the  Nile  is  unsuited  to  invalids  ;  it  is  attended  with 
too  much  wind  and  too  much  exposure  to  unavoid- 
able changes  of  temperature.  Invalids  whose  destina- 
tion is  Upper  Egypt  should  get  there  fairly  early  in 
the  season,  and  not  remain  at  Cairo  after  the  middle 
of  December,  indeed,  it  is  better  to  leave  Cairo  and 
the  Pyramids  until  the  return  journey — after  the 
middle  of  February  ;  between  these  periods  it  may 
be  cold,  windy,  and  in  some  seasons  even  rainy  there, 
while  before  December  it  is  apt  to  be  damp,  on 
account  of  the  recent  inundation  of  the  plains  of 
Lower  Egypt.  Then  there  are  always  mosquitoes  in 
Cairo,  while  they  are  absent  in  the  desert — but  in 
March  and  April  the  flies  are  a  torment  all  over  the 
country. 

Then  there  is  the  hot  Khamseen  wind,  which  blows 
in  the  spring  and  is  depressing  to  most  people,  and  is 
laden  with  fine  dust  that  proves  very  irritating  to  the 
lungs.  This  wind  begins  in  February  and  blows  for 
a  day  or  two  at  a  time  till  the  middle  of  April. 

The  diseases  that  are  apt  to  be  induced  by  chill  are 
diarrhoea,  dysentery,  and  pneumonia,  and  if  great  care 
is  not  taken  in  consuming  only  perfectly  pure  water, 
to  these  may  be  added  typhoid  !  As  to  the  cases 
that  should  not  be  sent  to  Egypt,  it  ought  not  to 
be  necessary  to  say  that  no  cases  of  advanced  or- 
ganic disease  should  be  sent  there  ;  cases  of  tabes  do 
not  do  well  there,  nor  do  hypochondriacal  neurotics, 
nor  persons  troubled  with  habitual  insomnia  not  due 
to  worry  or  over-work. 

Beyrout  and  Haifa,  on  the  coast  of  Syria,  have  been 
recommended  as  winter  resorts  ;  especially  the  slopes 
of  Lebanon  above  Beyrout,  which  afford  an  excellent 
climatic  resort  for  those  who  have  wintered  in  Egypt 
and  who  do  not  wish  to  return  at  once  to  Europe. 
Brumana  and  Alai  have  been  mentioned  as  suitable 
places  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Beyrout.  "  The 
valleys  of  Lebanon  offer  attractions  unsurpassed  by 
mountain  scenery  in  any  part  of  the  world.  Haifa 


MADEIRA.  619 

is  quieter  than  Beyrout  and  less  civilised.  There  is  a 
German  colony  there.  The  adjacent  monastery  of 
Carmel  is  an  attraction." 

Haifa  is  about  ten  miles  from  Acre,  and  twenty- 
two  from  Nazareth.  As  a  winter  resort  it  combines 
comfort  with  economy.  "  It  is  impossible  to  conceive 
a  more  agreeable  climate  during  the  winter  months 
than  it  offers.  The  climate  of  Carmel  is  exceptionally 
bracing  and  healthy  ;  while  the  beauty  of  its  situation, 
commanding  a  lovely  view  of  the  Bay  of  Acre  and 
the  encircling  hills  of  Palestine,  over-topped  by  the 
snow-clad  Hermon,  is  remarkable.  An  Austrian 
Lloyd's  steamer  touches  there  once  a  fortnight,  either 
from  Beyrout  or  Alexandria."* 

The  tonic  and  stimulating  climates  of  Davos  and 
Upper  Egypt  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  soft  soothing 
climate  of  Madeira  on  the  other,  may  be  regarded  as 
at  the  two  extremes  of  winter  health  resorts  for 
European  invalids.  Madeira  has  been  overrated  and 
underrated.  It  is  apt  to  suffer  from  those  violent 
oscillations  of  medical  opinion  to  which  all  health 
resorts  are  liable.  It  suffered,  when  it  was  believed 
that  all  consumptives  should  winter  in  the  high 
mountains  ;  and  when  it  was  shown  that  many  con- 
sumptives did  remarkably  well  at  Teneriffe,  Madeira 
shared  in  a  measure  the  popularity  of  Orotava.  Now, 
we  are  informed,  it  has  suffered  greatly  through  the 
popularity  of  open-air  sanatoria  at  home  ! 

Situated  between  32°  and  54°  N.  lat.,  in  the 
Atlantic  Ocean,  about  500  miles  from  the  west  coast 
of  Africa,  it  is  a  typical  representative  of  a  warm  and 
humid  marine  climate.  The  beauty  and  diversity  of 
its  landscapes  and  the  richness  of  their  colouring  give 
this  island  a  special  charm  for  artistic  natures. 

Writing  of  Madeira,  the  late  Dr.  Lambron,  of 
Luchon,  calls  it  "  la  premiere  residence  hivernale  du 
monde,"t  and  the  late  Dr.  Andrew  Combe  wrote  : 

*Blackwood's  Magazine.        f  "  Choix  d'une  residence  d'hiver." 


620      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

"  If  I  must  go  abroad,  I  shall  most  likely  return  to 
Madeira,  on  the  simple  ground  that,  if  I  must  forego 
the  pleasures  of  home,  it  is  better  to  resort  at  once 
to  the  most  advantageous  climate,"  etc.  It  is  now,  we 
believe,  sufficiently  well  understood  that  the  climate 
of  Madeira  is  only  suited  to  a  limited  and  carefully 
selected  class  of  cases ;  but  for  the  proper  cases  it 
is  a  climate  of  the  greatest  utility.  If  we  bear  this 
fact  in  mind,  we  shall  be  able  to  reconcile  the  wide 
discrepancies  which  we  find  in  authoritative  and 
evidently  unprejudiced  statements  about  this  island. 
Madeira  is  the  type  of  what  is  termed  an  oceanic 
climate,  i.e.  a  climate  essentially  soft  and  equable. 
It  is  also  moist  and  sedative,  and,  no  doubt,  to 
persons  with  considerable  constitutional  vigour  it 
seems  relaxing  and  depressing.  But  to  certain 
persons  in  a  state  of  great  debility,  with  much  feeble- 
ness in  the  organs  of  circulation ;  in  cases  of  irritative, 
chronic  bronchitis  with  scanty  secretion,  and  com- 
plicated with  emphysema ;  in  some  cases  of  advanced 
consumption,  and  particularly  those  complicated  with 
repeated  attacks  of  bronchitis,  even  cases  that  have 
seemed  quite  hopeless,  a  prolonged  residence  in  the 
climate  of  Madeira  has  been  attended  often  with 
most  remarkable  amelioration.  The  feeble  flickering 
lamp  burns  longer  there  than  in  a  more  stimulating 
and  tonic  air,  and  now  and  then  it  seems  to  gather 
renewed  power  and  burns  up  again  with  some  of 
its  old  lustre.  The  sedative  atmosphere  allays  cough 
in  cases  of  irritable  respiratory  mucous  membrane, 
but  it  often  causes  loss  of  appetite  and  bilious  dis- 
turbance in  persons  predisposed  to  such  disorders. 
It  would  seem  to  be  more  useful  in  cases  of  chronic 
laryngeal  and  bronchial  catarrh,  and  emphysema, 
than  in  phthisis.  It  is  also  suitable  to  persons  of 
feeble  circulation,  who  cannot  bear  bracing  treatment, 
and  who  enjoy  a  sea  climate. 

Funchal,  the  capital  of  the  island,  is  the  principal 
resort  (there  are  also  some  hill  stations  available)  ;  it 
is  built  in  the  form  of  an  amphitheatre,  and  looks 


MADEIRA-  621 

very  beautiful  from  the  sea.  It  is  surrounded 
by  luxuriant  vegetation,  and  tropical  fruits  ripen 
there  all  the  .year  round.  It  is  protected  by 
mountains,  which  rise  to  nearly  6,000  feet,  from 
winds  from  the  north,  north-east,  and  north-west. 
One  drawback,  however,  is  the  difficulty  of  getting 
level  walks. 

The  climate  of  Funchal  is  extraordinarily  equable. 
The  mean  annual  temperature  is  about  65°  F.  The 
night  temperature  scarcely  ever  descends  below 
48°  F.,  and  the  day  temperature  scarcely  ever  rises 
above  86°  F.  The  mean  winter  temperature  is 
61°,  the  mean  spring  temperature  62°,  the  mean 
summer  temperature  69°,  the  mean  autumn  tem- 
perature 67°,  and  the  mean  difference  between  the 
day  and  night  temperature  is  only  9°  F.  The  tem- 
perature of  the  sea  varies  between  63°  and  75°  F. 
As  might  be  expected,  there  is  considerable  humidity 
of  atmosphere,  the  mean  humidity  being  from  70°  to 
74°  F.  ;  but  this  varies  greatly  with  the  changes  in 
the  air  currents.  There  are  on  an  average  fifty  rainy 
days  in  the  winter  six  months,  eighty-five  in  the  whole 
year.  Funchal  is  occasionally  visited  by  violent  storms 
of  wind,  but  as  it  is  protected  by  mountains  from  the 
prevailing  wind,  the  north-east,  the  atmosphere  is 
generally  calm  from  7  to  9  a.m. ;  then  breezes  blow 
in  from  the  sea  till  8  or  9  p.m.  ;  and  the  land  wind 
sets  in  late  at  night.  The  air,  though  humid,  is  not 
felt  by  many  to  be  unpleasantly  so,  while  it  is  pure 
and  free  from  dust. 

The  climate,  then,  though  very  equable,  is  not  felt 
to  be  relaxing  except  by  a  few  persons,  and  it  must 
be  remembered  that  there  are  great  differences  of 
climate  to  be  found  in  different  parts  of  the  island. 
There  are  villas  to  be  procured  at  various  altitudes 
adapted  for  winter  or  summer  quarters,  so  that  there 
is  no  necessity  for  the  invalid  to  leave  the  island 
during  the  hot  summer  season.  The  hotel  keepers 
are  always  willing  to  make  arrangements  to  provide 
invalids  with  such  summer  quarters. 


622      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

The  autumnal  rains  set  in  at  Funchal  in  October, 
and  last  till  the  end  of  the  year.  The  rain  is  not 
continuous,  but,  like  our  heavy  April  showers,  with 
intervening  sunshine.  Usually  some  heavy  gales  are 
felt  about  the  beginning  of  the  year  from  south-south- 
west. Then  continuous  fine  weather  sets  in  in  Feb- 
ruary, and  winter  is  over.  It  is  usual  to  sleep  with 
open  windows  at  Funchal,  for  there  is  an  entire 
absence  of  that  chill  at  sunset  so  commonly  expe- 
rienced in  the  south  of  France,  and  there  is  no  dew- 
fall. 

Besides  the  maladies  I  have  already  named,  the 
climate  is  said  to  be  particularly  suitable  to  cases  of 
chronic  dysentery  and  malarial  fever.  Visitors 
usually  live  in  hotels.  There  are  villas  also  for 
families.  There  is  an  English  club  and  a  good  library  ; 
good  horses  are  also  to  be  obtained.  Steamers  leave 
London  and  Southampton  for  Madeira  weekly. 
There  is  a  tendency  to  suffer  from  diarrhoea  on 
first  arriving  in  the  island. 

The  Azores,  a  group  of  islands  (3  8°  30  N.  lat.jin  the 
Atlantic  Ocean,  800  miles  from  the  coast  of  Portugal, 
possess  a  climate  resembling  that  of  Madeira.  There 
is  even  greater  humidity  of  atmosphere,  however,  for 
"  paper  hangings  will  not  adhere  to  the  wall,  and  the 
veneering  of  furniture  strips  off."  The  principal 
island,  St.  Michael,  has  two  chief  places  of  resort, 
Ponta  Delgada  and  Villa  Franca.  In  the  island  of 
Fayal  there  is  also  Horta  as  a  place  of  resort.  These 
islands  have  frequently  been  visited  by  earthquakes. 
St.  Michael  possesses  numerous  hot  springs  which 
are  renowned  for  the  treatment  of  cases  of  chronic 
rheumatism,  skin  diseases,  and  syphilis.  Accommoda- 
tion is  very  limited. 

The  Canary  Islands  (28°  15'  N.  lat.),  possess  a 
warmer  and  dryer  climate  than  Madeira  or  the 
Azores.  These  islands,  under  the  name  of  "  The 
Fortunate  Islands,"  have  been  renowned  since  ancient 
times  for  their  beauty  and  salubrity,  but  the  main 
interest  of  invalids  will  naturally  be  directed  to  those 


LAS  PALM  AS.  623 

places  in  them  that  have  been  chosen  and  frequented 
in  recent  times  as  health  resorts.  Of  these  the  chief 
are  Las  Palmas  in  Grand  Canary,  and  Orotava  in 
Teneriffe,  and  in  the  latter  island  also  the  port  of 
Santa  Cruz,  and  some  elevated  resorts,  as  Laguna, 
Guimar,  Tacaronta,  and  Vilaflor.  La  Palma,  one  of 
the  most  westernly  of  the  islands,  is  occasionally 
visited  for  its  beautiful  scenery,  and  has  a  fair  hotel 
at  its  port — Santa  Cruz — but  it  is  not  a  resort  for 
invalids. 

Las  Palmas,  three  and  a-half  miles  from  the 
port  of  Grand  Canary,  is  the  nearest  of  these 
resorts  to  the  African  coast,  being  only  120  miles 
from  the  desert  of  Sahara  and  about  fifty  miles  from 
Teneriffe.  The  island  is  very  mountainous,  rising  in 
its  centre  to  an  elevation  of  6,000  feet,  so  that  moun- 
tain as  well  as  coast  climate  can  be  found  there  for 
summer  residence.  Hotel  accommodation  can  be 
obtained  at  an  elevation  of  1,300  feet. 

Las  Palmas  has  a  dry,  almost  African  climate,  and 
it  is  sufficiently  distant  from  the  mountainous  centre 
of  the  island  to  be  unaffected  by  the  clouds  which 
collect  over  the  central  summits,  so  that  it  has 
habitually  a  clear  sky  and  much  sunshine  ;  the  mean 
temperature  in  the  coldest  month  of  the  year 
(January)  is  61°  F.,  as  compared  with  49*5°  at 
Mentone.  The  average  daily  range  of  temperature 
for  the  winter  months  is  about  10°  F.  which  is  very 
moderate.  The  mean  relative  humidity  for  the 
winter  months  is  about  67  per  cent.,  and  dew  is  rare. 
The  average  yearly  rainfall  is  under  ten  inches,  and 
two-thirds  of  this  falls  at  night.  "Day  after  day 
during  the  winter  a  bright,  bracing  air  is  experienced, 
with  a  blue  sky,  blue  sea,  white  trade  wind  clouds, 
and  many  hours  of  sunshine"  (Milland).  The  east 
coast  of  Grand  Canary,  where  Las  Palmas  is  situated, 
is  cooler  and  dryer  than  Teneriffe,  as  it  gets  almost 
constantly  the  dry  and  tonic  breezes  of  the  north- 
east trade  wind.  Las  Palmas  has  a  fine,  sandy  beach 
four  miles  long,  affording  excellent  bathing.  Here 


624      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

between  the  town  and  the  port  is  the  English 
quarter  witli  two  good  hotels  in  their  own  grounds, 
the  Santa  Catalina  and  the  Metropole. 

It  has  been  reported  to  us  that  in  very  dry  and 
windy  weather  the  wind  blows  up  much  fine  dust 
in  this  situation,  which  proves  very  irritating  to  some 
chest  patients. 

Above  and  behind  the  hotels,  in  an  open,  breezy 
situation  are  the  golf  links.  Inland,  as  the  ground 
rises,  the  rainfall  increases  considerably,  as  is  testified 
by  the  vegetation.  Occasionally  when  a  south-west 
wind  is  blowing  from  the  tropics,  the  air  becomes 
warm,  damp,  and  relaxing.  The  south-easterly  wind 
blowing  from  the  African  desert  is  also  a  disagreeable 
one.  Known  as  the  Levante,  it  causes  the  air  to  be 
hot,  dry,  and  irritating,  with  considerable  difference 
between  day  and  night  temperature,  needing  care  to 
avoid  chill.  The  winter  climate  of  Las  Palmas  is 
breezy  and  fairly  dry  at  times,  perhaps  rather  too 
exciting  for  a  certain  class  of  invalids. 

Visitors  to  Teneriffe  land  at  the  port  of  Santa 
Cruz,  fifty-two  miles  from  Las  Palmas  and  256  from 
Madeira.  Santa  Cruz  is  on  the  south  side  of  the 
island,  while  Orotava  is  on  the  north.  To  reach  the 
latter  a  six  or  seven  hours'  drive  over  the  mountains 
is  necessary,  passing  through  Laguna  at  an  elevation 
of  about  2,000  feet ;  here  in  winter  it  is  sometimes 
cold,  windy,  and  wet,  and  the  invalid  must  be  pro- 
tected with  warm  wraps. 

Orotava  is  situated  in  a  valley  facing  the  Atlantic 
with  a  mountain  protection  behind  it  and  on  both 
sides,  so  that  it  has  a  very  sheltered  position.  Its 
surroundings  are  very  beautiful,  and  Humboldt  spoke 
of  it  as  "  one  of  the  most  charming  spots  in  the 
world."  Its  mean  monthly  temperature  for  the 
coldest  month  in  the  year  (January)  is  61-2°  F.,  and 
it  varies  little  for  the  next  three  months,  that  for 
April  being  64°  F.,  while  that  for  the  hottest  month 
(August)  is  only  73' 3°  F.,  while  the  mean  daily  range 
is  13-8°  ;  it  has,  therefore,  a  very  equable  temperature. 


OROTAVA.  625 

The  sea  temperature  in  January  is  657°  F.  The 
mean  annual  rainfall  is  about  16  inches,  there 
is  rarely  any  dew,  and  fogs  are  almost  unknown. 
There  are  about  sixty  rainy  days  in  the  year,  and 
in  half  of  these  the  rain  falls  at  night. 

December  and  January  are  the  wettest  months, 
but  in  the  summer,  i.e.  from  April  to  October  there 
is  rarely  any  rainfall.  The  prevailing  winds  in  winter 
are  off  the  sea  and  from  the  north  ;  they  are  light, 
refreshing  breezes.  In  summer  cool  N.E.  trade  winds 
exercise  a  cooling  influence.  There  is  always  a 
"  parasol  of  clouds  "  surrounding  "  the  Peak  "  which 
intercepts  a  certain  amount  of  sunshine  and  moderates 
the  summer  heat.  There  is  an  average  of  about  five 
hours'  sunshine  daily  during  the  three  winter  months, 
December  to  February.  Seasons,  of  course,  vary  at 
Teneriffe  as  well  as  elsewhere,  and  occasionally  a 
very  wet  April  may  be  experienced.  We  have  heard 
of  "  drenching  rain  daily  for  a  week,"  and  nearly 
three  weeks  without  sunshine.  On  an  average, 
Orotava  appears  to  be  1-5°  F.  warmer  than  Las 
Palmas,  and  3°  warmer  than  Madeira.  Although 
Las  Palmas  is  actually  warmer  than  Madeira,  it  feels 
cooler  on  account  of  the  refreshing  north-east  trade 
wind,  and  its  temperature  is  not  quite  so  equable.  A 
literary  friend,  not  an  invalid,  a  very  needful  distinc- 
tion in  weighing  evidence  as  to  climate,  writes  of 
Orotava  as  "  an  enervating  Eden,  a  climate  which 
diffuses  over  one  a  deliciously  dreamy  languor."  In 
the  month  of  January  he  experienced  "  a  positively 
prostrating  warmth."  He  preferred  Las  Palmas,  as 
he  found  it  more  bracing — "the  Canarian  climate, 
the  Canarian  air,"  he  thought  "  beyond  comparison 
and  beyond  description."  No  doubt  the  more 
vigorous  invalids  who  prefer  a  climate  with  a 
decidedly  bracing  element  in  it  should  choose  Las 
Paimas. 

Comparing  the  climate  of  the  Canaries  with 
that  of  Madeira,  we  find  the  latter  is  moister, 
with  a  greater  rainfall  and  more  wet  days  ;  but 


626      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

we  are  advised,  as  a  set-off  against  this,  that 
at  Madeira  the  food  is  better,  the  accommodation 
more  varied,  and  the  dust  absent ! 

A  few  words  must  be  added  as  to  the  less 
frequented  resorts  in  Teneriffe.  Santa  Cruz  is  the 
port  of  arrival,  and  a  sanatorium  has  been  estab- 
lished there,  and  competent  observers  have  reported 
of  it  as  the  best  climate  in  the  island  for  the  months 
of  January,  February,  and  March. 

"  It  has  a  southern  aspect,  the  clouds  which 
gather  round  the  high  mountains  do  not  intercept  so 
much  of  the  sunshine  as  at  Orotava,"  and  it  has 
more  protection  from  cool  north  and  east  winds. 
Its  mean  daily  temperature  is  higher,  and  its  rainfall 
less. 

Laguna,  five  and  a-half  miles  from  Santa  Cruz,  with 
an  elevation  of  1,840  feet  and  beautiful  surroundings, 
is  utilised  as  a  cool  and  refreshing  retreat  in  summer, 
and  might  suit  some  cases  in  winter. 

Guimar,  at  an  elevation  of  1,200  feet,  has  a 
sanatorium  for  the  open-air  treatment  of  tuberculosis, 
under  the  experienced  medical  supervision  of  Dr.. 
Salmond.  A  limited  number  of  patients  are  received 
and  treated  on  the  Nordrach  system.  Guimar  is 
very  favourably  situated,  being  on  the  south  side  of 
the  island,  twenty  miles  from  Santa  Cruz  and  three 
miles  from  the  sea  by  a  rather  rapid  descent.  It  is 
reported  to  be  dryer,  with  less  rain  and  more  hours  of 
sunshine,  than  any  other  resort  in  Teneriffe,  while 
it  is  entirely  sheltered  from  northerly  winds  by  a 
range  of  mountains  6,000  feet  high. 

Tacaronta,  1,700  feet  above  the  sea,  is  twelve  miles 
from  Laguna,  between  it  and  Orotava. 

Vilaflor,  at  an  elevation  of  4,335  feet,  is  the  highest 
village  in  the  Canaries,  and  has  been  indicated  as  an 
excellent  summer  resort,  but  it  is  difficult  ot  access, 
and  we  have  not  heard  of  any  satisfactory  accom- 
modation there  for  invalids. 

The  journey  to  Teneriffe  or  Las  Palmas  takes  from 
four  and  a-half  to  eight  or  nine  days,  according  to  the 


MOGADOR.      p  627 

line  of  steamers  selected.  There  is  a  considerable 
choice,  the  faster  boats  being  more  expensive  than  the 
slower  ones. 

Mogador,  on  the  coast  of  Morocco,  in  nearly  the 
same  latitude  as  Madeira,  but  a  little  more  to  the 
south  (31°  30'  N.  lat.),  has  been  highly  praised  by 
French  authorities  as  a  winter  resort  for  consumptives 
on  account  of  its  warm  and  very  equable  climate.  It 
is  protected  from  the  hot  desert  winds  by  the  Atlas 
range  of  mountains.  The  prevailing  winds  are  from 
the  north-east,  and  these  blow  over  the  Atlantic,  but 
a  low  rocky  island  lies  opposite  the  town  and  shelters 
it  from  all  winds  but  the  west- south- west.  The 
mean  winter  temperature  is  about  the  same  as  that 
of  Madeira,  61°  F.  The  mean  daily  range  of  tempera- 
ture has  been  stated  to  be  only  5°  F.,  which  is  exceed- 
ingly small.  The  relative  humidity  is  fairly  high,  78 
per  cent.,  but  the  rainy  days  are  few,  an  annual  mean 
of  about  45  days. 

There  is  only  a  difference  of  about  10°  F.  between 
the  summer  and  winter  mean  temperature.  There 
is  usually  but  little  cloud,  the  sky  being  nearly  always 
clear. 

The  town  is  reported  as  very  clean  and  in  good 
sanitary  condition,  but  the  surroundings  are  not 
picturesque.  Consumption  is  said  to  be  almost  un- 
known amongst  the  inhabitants,  and  the  climate  has 
exercised  a  remarkable  curative  effect  on  consumptives 
who  have  resorted  to  it.  These  exceptional  climatic 
conditions  have  been  attributed  mainly  to  the  influence 
of  the  north-east  trade  wind,  which  prevails  there  a 
great  part  of  the  year.  There  are  not  half-a-dozen 
days  in  the  year  that  may  not  be  spent  agreeably  out 
of  doors.  The  air  is  charged  with  minute  particles  of 
salt  from  the  breaking  of  the  Atlantic  waves  on  the 
reefs  near  the  town.  Europeans  can  find  accommoda- 
tion at  the  Palm  Tree  House  Hotel,  on  the  hill  behind 
the  town. 

Tangier  is  the  only  town  in  Morocco  that  is  likely 


628      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

to  prove  an  attractive  winter  resort  to  English  invalids, 
as  it  is  only  thirty-five  miles  from  Gibraltar — three 
hours  by  steamer.  Situated  in  35°  42'  N.  lat.,  close 
to  the  coast  both  of  the  Atlantic  and  the  Mediterra- 
nean, it  has  a  very  moist,  warm,  and  equable  climate. 
Its  mean  winter  temperature  has  been  stated  to  be 
from  57°  to  62°  F.  All  its  winds  are  moist  winds, 
coming  either  over  the  Atlantic  or  the  Mediterranean, 
and  we  are  told  that  nothing  dries  there  spon- 
taneously by  mere  exposure  to  the  air.  The  annual 
rainfall  is  from  30  to  32  inches,  but  it  has  few 
rainy  days,  not  more  than  35  to  40  in  a  year. 
Although  an  interesting  and  picturesque  spot,  the 
climate  is  too  moist  and  windy  for  many  invalids  ;  but 
when  the  temperature  ranges  above  70°  F.  the  air 
is  not  unwholesome,  even  when  nearly  saturated  with 
vapour,  though  it  lacks  the  crisp,  tonic  effect  of  dryer 
air.  Sea  bathing  can  be  had  all  the  year  round.  The 
most  serious  drawbacks,  however,  to  living  in  Tan- 
gier, are  the  absence  of  drainage,  the  dirt,  the  bad 
smells,  and  the  want  of  roads.  The  unsettled  state 
of  the  country  is  also  a  disturbing  factor.  Fairly 
good  accommodation  is  to  be  obtained  at  the  hotels 
there.  Those  invalids  who  are  not  deterred  by 
these  drawbacks  will  find  there  a  warm,  moist,  fairly 
sunny  winter  resort,  a  place  where,  owing  to  the 
moderate  heat  of  summer,  they  can  remain  all  the  year 
round.  It  is  suitable  to  certain  cases  of  early  phthisis 
and  to  those  of  bronchial  catarrh  and  asthma,  espe- 
cially when  there  is  scanty  secretion.  Early  cases  of 
chronic  Bright 's  disease  often  do  well  there — and 
convalescents  from  acute  diseases  who  long  for  an 
entire  change  of  entourage  might  find  life  there  both 
interesting  and  beneficial. 

Algiers  may  be  recommended  to  many  who  are 
in  search  of  winter  quarters,  and  who  do  not  dread 
a  sea  passage  of  twenty-six  to  twenty-eight  hours. 
The  great  interest  of  the  town  itself,  and  the 
variety  of  interesting  excursions  in  the  neighbourhood, 
are  attractions  for  many  of  those  who  have  to  spend 


ALGIERS.  629 

each  recurring  winter  out  of  their  own  country.  The 
Transatlantic  steamers  leave  Marseilles  on  four  days 
in  the  week  at  i  p.m.,  and  the  whole  journey  from 
London  to  Algiers  may  be  accomplished  in  fifty-two 
hours.  Algiers  has  its  admirers  and  its  detractors, 
which  may  be  taken  to  prove  that  it  has  its  bad  sea- 
sons a.nd  its  good  seasons.  Much  rain  falls  during  the 
winter  months,  and  many  invalids  have  complained  of 
having  encountered  very  wet  seasons  ;  authorities 
differ  as  to  which  are  the  wettest  months.  All,  how- 
ever, seem  agreed  that  March  and  April  are  the  best 
months.  The  winter  temperature  of  Algiers  is,  on  a 
general  average,  about  10°  F.  higher  than  that  of  the 
Riviera.  The  mean  temperature  for  the  coldest 
month  (January)  is  54°  F.  The  difference  between 
the  day  and  night  temperature  is  not  so  marked  as  on 
the  Western  Riviera  ;  but  as  soon  as  the  sun  sets 
the  air  becomes  highly  charged  with  moisture,  and 
heavy  dews  fall.  The  thermometer  very  rarely  de- 
scends to  the  freezing  point ;  one  observer  found  it 
only  do  so  twice  in  twelve  years.  There  are  winters  in 
Algiers  when  the  rain  falls  in  great  quantity,  "  nearly 
daily,  and  often  all  day,"  in  the  months  of  November, 
December,  January,  and  February.  On  an  average 
there  are  forty  to  fifty  rainy  days  during  the 
winter  season.  The  mean  annual  rainfall  is  32 
inches. 

The  prevailing  wind  is  the  north-west,  a  cold 
wind,  blowing  across  the  Mediterranean.  The  Sirocco 
blows  but  seldom,  perhaps  for  three  or  four  hours 
during  four  or  six  days  in  a  month  ;  but  it  is  exces- 
sively disagreeable  while  it  lasts,  for,  coming  across 
the  great  desert  of  Sahara,  it  is  laden  with  a  fine 
penetrating  dust,  and  feels  hot  and  burning  like  a  blast 
from  an  oven.  The  climate  of  Algiers,  less  exciting 
and  milder  and  more  equable  than  that  of  the 
Riviera,  is  not  humid  and  relaxing  like  Madeira  ;  it 
seems,  therefore,  capable  of  exercising  a  tonic,  sooth- 
ing, and  bracing  influence  in  many  cases  of  chest 
disease,  as  well  as  in  other  chronic  maladies.  The 


630      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

combination  of  tonic  and  sedative  climatic  influences 
is  peculiarly  suitable  to  cases  of  protracted  convales- 
cence after  attacks  of  pleurisy  and  pneumonia,  and 
to  cases  of  early  phthisis  in  somewhat  feeble, 
lymphatic  constitutions,  or  in  cases  where  the  exist- 
ence of  nervous  excitability  would  counter-indicate  a 
residence  on  the  Riviera. 

Persons,  however,  subject  to  bilious  disturbance, 
complain  that  after  a  little  time  the  climate  of  Algiers 
makes  them  very  uncomfortable,  and  that  they  are 
compelled  to  leave  it.  Some  forms  of  chronic  Bright' s 
disease  and  certain  cases  of  chronic  heart  disease  do 
well  in  Algiers.  The  climate  also  suits  cases  of 
chronic  bronchitis  and  laryngeal  catarrh  in  the  gouty 
with  scanty  secretion. 

An  oft-repeated  objection  to  Algiers  is  the 
unhealthy  and  foul- smelling  state  of  the  picturesque 
old  part  of  the  town  ;  and  the  hotels  in  the  town 
have  not  been  considered  as  very  safe  dwelling- 
places.  But  these  objections  to  the  town  of  Algiers 
do  not  apply  to  the  suburb  of  Mustapha  Superieur, 
W7hich  consists  of  villa  residences  surrounded  by  their 
own  gardens  and  beautifully  situated  on  the  slopes  of 
the  hills  to  the  south-west  of  the  town.  In  the 
selection  of  a  villa  it  is  important  that  the  house 
and  garden  should  be  exposed  as  much  as  possible 
to  the  sun  all  the  day  ;  for  in  the  shade  and  in  wet 
weather  the  atmosphere  is  often  very  damp  and 
chilly.  It  is  also  very  important  to  inquire  care- 
fully into  the  drainage  and  water  supply. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  you  do  not  get 
"  desert  air  "  in  Algiers,  for,  as  Mr.  Otter  pointed  out 
in  "  Winters  Abroad,"  "  the  soil  is,  in  fact,  deep,  rich, 
and  damp,  and  there  is  no  desert  within  100  miles. 
It  is  strange,"  he  adds,  "  how  much  even  slightly  bad 
weather  is  felt  in  Algiers  ;  the  cold  wind  seemed 
more  trying,  and  the  rain  colder  and  wetter,  and  to 
leave  a  damper  feeling  in  the  air,  than  in  any  other 
country  which  I  ever  visited." 

There    is    usually   pleasant    English   society  in 


HA  MM  A  M     R'IRHA .  631 

Algiers,  and  there   are   beautiful   walks,   rides,   and 
drives  into  the  surrounding  country. 

Excellent  hotels  exist  at  Mustapha  Superieur,  and 
every  foot  one  rises  on  the  hill  of  Mustapha  one  gains 
in  climate.  There  is,  perhaps,  more  wind  on  the  top 
of  the  hill,  but  there  is  more  sun  also,  and  no  damp. 
The  upper  level  also  has  an  incalculable  advantage  : 
once  there,  the  visitor  can  walk  for  miles  amidst  lovely 
scenery,  on  level  ground,  whereas,  lower  down  there 
is  nothing  but  ascent  and  descent  on  high-roads. 

It  has  been  recommended,  in  cases  of  early  or 
threatening  consumption,  to  spend  two  winters  and 
the  intervening  summer  in  Algeria  without  returning 
to  Europe ;  for  it  has  often  been  observed  that  the 
good  obtained  by  wintering  there  is  counteracted  by 
the  fatigue  and  chill  inseparable  from  a  visit  to 
England  in  summer.  The  summer  can  be  passed  in 
the  highest  part  of  the  hill  at  Mustapha,  where  it  has 
often  been  noted  that  the  thermometer  has  not  ex- 
ceeded 80°  F.  for  more  than  ten  days  the  whole 
summer. 

Hammam  R'Irha,  with  thermal  springs  and  a  bath 
establishment  which  have  been  described  in  Part  I. 
(p.  198),  is  situated  in  a  depression  of  the  Lesser 
Atlas  range,  at  an  elevation  of  2,000  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea.  It  is  about  sixty  miles  west- 
south-west  of  Algiers.  There  is  first  a  journey  by 
rail  of  three  and  a-half  hours  to  Bon  Medfa,  and  then 
a  drive  of  eight  miles  to  the  baths.  Hammam 
R'Irha  can  also  be  reached  from  Gran  in  nine 
hours.  The  place  is  surrounded  and  protected  on 
nearly  all  sides  by  mountains,  and  there  is  an  ex- 
tensive pine  wood  about  a  mile  and  half  to  the 
north-west,  and  ash,  oak,  olive,  and  eucalyptus  trees 
flourish  on  the  hills  around.  Roses,  violets,  and 
geraniums  bloom  throughout  the  winter.  There 
is,  however,  a  defect  in  the  mountain  protection  to 
the  place  in  the  shape  of  a  cleft  which  lets  in  the 
stormiest  wind  in  Algiers — the  north-west — which 
blows  at  times  very  fiercely. 


632      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS.^ 

The  hotel  accommodation  is  good,  and  there  are 
pleasant  excursions  and  walks  in  the  country  around. 
Records  of  its  winter  temperature  make  this  place 
about  5°  F.  colder  than  Algiers,  and  it  has  many 
rainy  days.  It  is  a  suitable  climate  station  in  the 
spring  when  Algiers  gets  too  warm,  and  it  is  resorted 
to  also  in  summer  for  its  coolness  and  freshness. 

The  air  is  no  doubt  pure  and  bracing,  and  is  said 
to  resemble  the  mountain  air  of  Scotland  in  the 
summer  months,  only  it  is  dryer.  In  winter  frost  and 
snow  are  not  unknown. 

It  is  a  suitable  resort  in  winter  also  for  those  who 
are  recovering  from  protracted  illness,  and  for  those 
who,  having  broken  down  from  worry,  anxiety,  or 
over-work,  require  a  quiet  place  of  rest  where  the 
air  is  mild,  yet  pure  and  exhilarating.  It  certainly 
does  not  appear  to  be  a  suitable  winter  residence 
for  delicate  invalids. 

Hammam  Meskoutine  is  another  Algerian  thermal 
station  which,  like  Hammam  R'Irha,  can  be  resorted 
to  in  winter  by  those  who  are  seeking  for  treatment 
by  hot  baths  when  the  European  spas  are  closed.  It 
is  not  so  accessible,  nor  has  it  been  as  yet  so  fully 
developed  as  a  health  resort,  as  Hammam  R'Irha.  It 
is  a  long  and  tedious  railway  journey  of  twenty-six 
hours  from  Algiers,  as  it  lies  in  the  centre  of  a 
triangle  formed  by  the  cities  of  Philippeville, 
Constantino,  and  Bone.  It  is  best  reached,  from 
Europe,  via  Philippeville,  Bone,  or  Tunis. 

From  Tunis  it  can  be  reached  in  eleven  hours  by 
rail,  and  from  Bone  in  three  or  four  hours,  and  in 
either  case  there  is  a  rather  tedious  sea-voyage.  The 
invalid  must  be  very  vigorous,  or  very  restless,  who 
can  contemplate  such  a  journey  for  the  purpose  of 
getting  hot  baths.  Once  there,  the  climate  and  the 
baths  are  likely  to  prove  very  useful  in  cases  of 
chronic  rheumatism,  muscular  and  articular,  in  tabes 
and  constitutional  syphilis,  in  sciatica  and  other 
neuralgias,  chronic  bronchitis  and  emphysema,  and 
some  skin  affections.  It  is  not  thought  useful,  but 


BISKRA.  633 

the  contrary,  in  phthisis,  heart  disease,  gout  and 
congestive  conditions. 

It  has  a  warm  winter  climate,  the  thermometer 
rarely  falling  below  50°  F.  ;  but  March  is  often  a 
stormy  month.  There  are  several  springs,  one — the 
Grande  Cascade — is  very  hot,  205°  F.,  nearly  that 
of  boiling  water,  and  has  a  strong  odour  of  sulphu- 
retted hydrogen,  which  it  loses  as  it  cools. 

There  is  another  spring  not  quite  so  hot  which 
contains  a  little  iron,  and  is  used  when  cool  for 
drinking.  It  also  contains  a  good  deal  of  sulphate 
and  bicarbonate  of  lime,  and  is  regarded  as  similar  in 
effect  to  the  Contrexeville  water. 

It  is  a  quiet,  restful  place,  with  interesting  and 
picturesque  surroundings. 

Biskra. — This  Algerian  winter  resort  consists  ot 
several  villages,  in  an  oasis  of  the  Saharan  desert,  on 
the  south  side  of  the  Lesser  Atlas  mountains,  at  an 
elevation  of  about  400  feet.  It  lies  in  34°  55'  N.  lat., 
nearly  two  degrees  south  of  Algiers,  and  about  ten 
degrees  south  of  Nice. 

Its  climate  is  practically  that  of  the  desert,  very 
dry  and  sunny,  but  not  so  equable  as  Algiers.  The 
rainfall  is  very  small,  about  6^  inches  in  the  year, 
but  it  has  the  great  drawback  of  being  very  windy 
and  draughty,  and  the  wind  storms  bring  clouds 
of  dust.  It  is  also  fatiguing  for  the  invalid  to  get  at, 
as  it  is  a  twenty -two  hours'  railway  journey  from 
Algiers  ;  it  is  best,  however,  to  break  the  journey  at 
El  Guerrah  (3,000  feet  above  the  sea)  and  sleep  there, 
and  so  avoid  the  fatigue  of  night  travelling.  There  is 
an  alternative  route  by  sea  to  Bona  or  Tunis  which 
shortens  considerably  the  railway  journey.  There 
is  an  overcrowded  Arab  settlement  at  Biskra  with 
the  usual  insanitary  surroundings,  which  tend  to 
diminish  the  purity  of  the  desert  air.  The  winter 
temperature  at  Biskra  is  said  rarely  to  exceed  80°  F. 
or  to  fall  below  60°  F.  There  is  a  thermal  sulphur 
bath  about  four  miles  from  Biskra  which  is  largely 
resorted  to  by  the  Arabs,  and  is  used  in  the  treatment 


634      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

of  those  maladies  for  which  hot  sulphur  springs  are 
usually  employed,  viz.  pharyngeal,  laryngeal,  and 
bronchial  catarrh,  chronic  syphilitic,  rheumatic,  and 
cutaneous  affections.  With  suitable  sanatoria,  Bis- 
kra ought  to  prove  a  valuable  climatic  winter  resort 
for  pulmonary  invalids  who  are  vigorous  enough  and 
well  enough  to  bear  the  fatigue  of  the  long  and 
tedious  journey,  but  this,  together  with  the  absence- 
of  an  English  'doctor  and  chemist  and  the  doubtful 
food  and  draughty  dwellings,  renders  it  unfit  at  present 
for  delicate,  feeble  English  invalids.  Chronic  rheu- 
matic cases  should  do  well  at  the  baths,  and  cases  of 
syphilitic  cachexia.  Those  suffering  from  over-work 
and  brain  fag  may  find  the  dry,  bracing,  clear  desert 
air,  the  very  beautiful  and  interesting  scenery  around, 
and  the  entire  change  of  entourage  refreshing  and 
restorative. 

The  winter  resorts  on  the  Western  Riviera  are 
of  such  great  importance  to  dwellers  in  Northern 
Europe,  from  their  accessibility  and  natural  attractive- 
ness that  we  prefer  to  devote  the  wrhole  of  the  next 
chapter  to  their  consideration.  Speaking  generally, 
the  climate  of  the  Western  Riviera  is  tonic,  stimulat- 
ing, and  exciting,  specially  useful  in  cases  where  the 
vital  energy  is  drooping  and  wants  flogging  into 
renewed  activity.  It  often  proves  injurious  to  persons 
of  a  nervous  and  irritable  temperament,  and  to  cases 
which  have  a  tendency  to  febrile  excitement.  It  is 
on  this  account  often  ill  borne  by  many  hysterical 
persons  and  hypochondriacs. 

We  pass  on  now  to  consider  the  resorts  on  the 
Riviera  di  Levante — the  Riviera  to  the  east  of  Genoa. 
These  are  not  so  popular  as  winter  residences  as 
those  to  the  wTest  of  that  famous  city,  and,  indeed, 
their  winter  climate  is  not,  on  the  whole,  so  suitable 
to  invalids,  especially  to  those  who  suffer  from  chest 
affections.  The  Riviera  di  Levante  is  colder  and 
wetter  than  the  Riviera  di  Ponente.  It  is  not  so  well 
protected  from  the  north  ;  the  sheltering  mountains 


NERVI.  635 

are  not  so  high,  they  are  usually  further  off,  and  gaps 
occur  in  the  chain  which  admit  cold  currents  from  the 
north  and  north-east. 

The  rainfall  is  considerably  greater,  and  the  relative 
humidity  greater. 

Genoa  and  its  immediate  neighbourhood  is  pecu- 
liarly unsuited  to  pulmonary  invalids,  as  its  climate  is 
very  changeable  and  often  cold,  windy,  and  rainy  ; 
but  between  Genoa  and  Spezia  there  are  many  spots 
on  the  Italian  Riviera  well  suited  for  winter  residence 
to  those  who  are  simply  looking  for  a  milder  climate 
and  more  sunshine  than  can  be  found  within  our  own 
shores.  A  very  few  are  sufficiently  sheltered  from 
the  prevailing  winds  to  be  adapted  to  delicate  invalids 
in  winter  ;  one  of  these  is— 

Nervi,  which  may  be  regarded  as  almost  a  suburb 
of  Genoa,  from  which  it  is  only  six  miles  distant ;  it  lies 
in  44°  22 '  N.  lat.  It  is  well  sheltered  towards  the 
north,  and  fairly  so  towards  the  east,  but  it  is  more 
exposed  to  the  north-east  and  north-west.  The  south- 
east or  Sirocco  is  of  frequent  occurrence,  and  renders 
the  climate,  for  the  time,  somewhat  damp  and 
relaxing.  Owing  to  the  steepness  of  its  mountain 
boundaries,  and  the  absence  of  good  roads,  there  are 
but  few  walks  and  possible  excursions,  so  that  it  is 
only  suited  to  invalids  seeking  repose  and  quiet. 
Its  climate  is  less  tonic  and  exciting  than  the  resorts 
in  the  Western  Riviera,  it  is  less  windy,  more  humid, 
and  has  a  greater  number  of  rainy  days. 

The  town  of  Nervi  has  some  good  hotels. 
Gardens  with  orange  and  lemon  orchards  occupy  the 
level  space  between  the  town  and  the  sea-shore, 
giving  to  the  town  a  very  picturesque  aspect.  A 
sunny  and  sheltered  promenade  has  been  cut  along 
the  rocky  shore,  and  is  admirably  suited  for  invalids, 
as  they  can  enjoy  there  a  temperature  twenty  or 
more  degrees  higher  than  in  the  shaded  streets  of  the 
town. 

There  are,  on  an  average,  about  fifty-four  rainy 
days  from  December  to  April,  and  a  rainfall  during 


636      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

the   six  winter  months,  November  to  April,  of  25 \ 
inches. 

It  would  seem  to  be  much  cooler  in  spring  than 
Mentone  and  the  other  western  resorts ;  but  in 
winter  it  would  appear,  in  some  seasons  at  any  rate, 
to  be  warmer.  There  can  be  no  doubt  as  to  the 
mildness  of  its  climate,  as  is  evidenced  by  the 
growth  of  standard  lemon-trees  and  an  abundant  sub-, 
tropical  vegetation.  Living  is  less  costly  at  Nervi 
than  at  most  of  the  western  resorts.  The  place  is 
much  affected  by  Germans. 

Santa  Margherita,  ten  miles  from  Nervi,  is  beau- 
tifully situated  in  a  sheltered  bay  a  little  more  than  a 
mile  from  Rapallo,  its  more  popular  neighbour. 

Rapallo  is  well  sheltered  from  the  north,  in  the 
same  bay  as  Santa  Margherita.  It  has  a  very  sunny 
aspect,  facing  south-east.  The  little  bay  has  a  very 
narrow  entrance,  so  that  it  is  much  shut  in  by  a  pro- 
montory to  the  west  and  another  to  the  east.  These 
two  promontories  are  connected  towards  the  north 
by  a  semicircle  of  hills  ;  this  natural  protection  from 
the  access  of  cold  winds  gives  Rapallo  a  very  mild 
climate.  Olive,  chestnut;  and  fig- trees  cover  the 
lower  hills  ;  the  more  distant  ones  to  the  north-east 
rise  to  between  two  and  three  thousand  feet  above 
the  sea. 

The  accommodation  is  good,  and  the  prices  are 
moderate.  There  are  a  number  of  beautiful  walks 
along  the  coast  and  inland,  which  give  it  an  advan- 
tage over  Nervi.  It  has  a  sandy  beach,  which  is 
another  advantage.  Its  climate  is  no  doubt  warm 
and  rather  moist.  It  has  been  said  to  resemble  that 
of  Pisa ;  but  its  situation  and  surroundings  are  far 
more  attractive.  Its  air  is  not  so  dry  as  at  the 
resorts  on  the  French  Riviera,  but  the  temperature 
is  more  equable.  Altogether  Rapallo  has  much  to 
recommend  it  as  a  winter  resort,  and  is  growing  in 
popularity  with  English  invalids. 

Sestri  Levante,  half-way  between  Genoa  and 
Spezia,  is  in  a  very  picturesque  but  somewhat 


SPEZIA.  637 

exposed  situation,  and  has  a  very  sunny  and  equable 
climate. 

Spezia  is  a  town  with  a  famous  arsenal,  and  is  built 
at  the  north-west  angle  of  a  magnificent  deep  bay  or 
gulf,  formed  chiefly  by  the  projection  of  a  rocky  pro- 
montory to  the  west,  about  four  miles  in  length. 
There  are  delightfully  quiet  valleys  and  sheltered 
bays  to  the  east  of  the  town,  well  suited  for  walks 
and  excursions. 

The  western  coast  of  the  gulf  is  rugged  and  hilly, 
but  the  northern  and  eastern  part  is  comparatively 
level  for  about  three  miles,  and  this  is  utilised  for 
walks  and  drives.  The  town  and  gulf  are  open  to 
the  south  and  south-east,  but  they  are  protected  to 
the  north  and  west  by  steep  and  high  mountains, 
whose  spurs  stretch  down  into  the  sea.  Its  climate 
is  a  mild  one,  its  mean  winter  temperature  is  40*6°  F., 
but  the  town  and  bay  are  not  protected  from  the 
prevailing  wind,  which  is  from  the  south,  nor  from 
the  Sirocco  which  not  unfrequently  blows  from  the 
south-south-east.  The  climate  is  moderately  warm, 
moderately  moist,  calm,  and  tolerably  equable,  and 
the  air  is  free  from  dust.  There  are  good  hotels. 

Spezia  may  be  commended  to  the  robuster  sort  of 
invalid  who  is  not  greatly  dependent  on  protection 
from  wind,  who  prefers  a  somewhat  moist  to  a  very 
dry  climate,  and  who  desires  to  meet  with  facilities 
for  sailing,  boating,  riding,  and  a  tolerably  active  life. 
Its  air  is  said  to  be  soothing  and  comforting  to  those 
who  suffer  from  sleeplessness  in  the  resorts  of  the 
dryer  and  more  exciting  Western  Riviera.  It  has  a 
fine  public  garden  and  promenade,  the  Marina,  a 
great  boon  to  invalids. 

Viareggio  is  the  only  other  place  on  this  coast 
which  need  be  here  mentioned,  situated  between 
Spezia  and  Leghorn.  Having  a  fine  sandy  beach, 
it  has  hitherto  been  chiefly  known  as  a  summer 
bathing-station ;  but  its  mild  climate,  and  the 
immediate  adjacency  of  large  pine  woods  affording 
both  shade  and  shelter,  tend  to  bring  it  into  favour 


638      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

as  a  winter  resort.    It  is,  however,  somewhat  exposed 
to  mists. 

It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  allude  to  Pisa,  only  a 
few  miles  from  the  coast,  except  to  mention  its 
former  reputation  as  a  winter  resort. 

There  is  another  group  of  winter  resorts,  which, 
although  littoral  stations  like  those  on  the  French 
and  Italian  Riviera,  have  very  different  climatic 
characteristics.  They  are  the  comparatively  seda- 
tive stations  of  the  south-west  coast  of  France— 
Arcachon,  Biarritz,  St.  Jean  de  Luz,  and  the  adjacent 
Spanish  town,  San  Sebastian ;  and  with  these  littoral 
climates  we  may  associate  the  neighbouring  inland 
health  resorts  of  Pau  and  Dax. 

Arcachon,  as  an  example  of  a  sedative,  yet  not  a 
relaxing  climate,  no  doubt  possesses  advantages  for 
the  treatment  of  certain  maladies.  Ten  miles  from 
the  Atlantic  coast  (44°  f  N.  lat.),  from  which  it  is 
separated  by  high  sand  dunes  covered  with  pine 
forests,  it  is  protected  to  a  great  extent  from  the  fury 
of  the  west  and  south-west  winds  by  the  dense  forest, 
which  also  offers  a  protection  from  the  winds  coming 
from  the  east  and  south-east.  To  the  north  of  the 
town  lies  the  great  sea  basin,  a  harbour  many  miles 
in  extent,  inclosed  on  all  sides,  only  communicating 
with  the  Atlantic  by  a  narrow  channel  running  almost 
due  south.  The  north  and  north-east  winds  must 
pass  over  this  basin,  and  they  become  thus  somewhat 
warmed  in  winter  and  their  irritating  dryness 
diminished,  while  it  is  maintained  that  they  also 
bring  from  the  surface  of  this  unusually  salt  sea 
water,  and  from  the  vast  extent  of  sands  exposed  by 
the  retreating  tides,  an  appreciable  amount  of  saline 
and  other  marine  emanations,  to  give  a  special 
efficacy  to  the  air  in  certain  scrofulous  conditions. 
Arcachon  shares  also  in  the  equable  temperature 
which  belongs  to  moist,  marine  littoral  climates. 
The  air  contains  much  moisture,  owing  to  the 
west  and  south-west  winds  which  blow  in  from  the 


ARC  AC  HON.  639 

Atlantic  and  bring  much  rain  and  mist ;  but,  owing 
to  the  extreme  porosity  of  the  soil,  which  for  miles 
and  miles  is  wholly  sand,  the  water  is  drained 
off  from  the  surface  as  soon  as  it  falls,  so  that  there 
can  never  be  any  stagnant  water  on  the  ground. 
The  air  of  the  forest  is  impregnated  with  the 
balsamic  emanations  from  the  pine  trees,  peculiarly 
grateful  to  some  forms  of  chest  affections ;  and, 
moreover,  it  is  found  to  be  very  remarkably  rich  in 
ozone. 

Arcachon  contains  two  quite  distinct  parts  :  the 
Plage,  a  level  tract  on  the  south  shore  of  the  Bassin, 
which  is  occupied  by  somewhat  closely  packed  streets 
and  houses,  and  is,  in  summer,  crowded  with  sea- 
bathers  ;  and  the  Ville  d'Hiver,  separated  from  the 
former  by  a  high  sand-hill,  and  consisting  of  numerous 
villa  residences  actually  built  in  the  forest ;  each  house 
being  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  pine  trees.  The  pre- 
vailing winds,  north-west,  west,  and  south-west, 
being  sea  winds,  are  not  cold  like  continental  winds  ; 
but  they  often  blow  with  great  violence,  and  were  it 
not  for  the  protection  of  the  lofty  pine  trees,  over  the 
tops  of  which  they  blow,  they  would  form  a  serious 
drawback  to  the  climate.  There  is  less  sudden  transi- 
tion from  day  to  night  temperature  than  in  the  Riviera. 
The  mean  winter  temperature  is  44*5°  F.,  the  mean 
relative  humidity  85  per  cent.,  the  annual  rainfall  about 
35  inches,  and  there  are  103  rainy  days.  The  climate 
is,  in  short,  moderately  mild  and  soothing,  and  it 
is  especially  suitable  to  cases  of  irritative  bronchial  or 
laryngeal  catarrh,  to  cases  of  early  phthisis  with 
tendency  to  congestion  or  inflammatory  complica- 
tions, and  to  persons  of  nervous  temperament.  It  is 
not  suited  to  persons  of  a  lymphatic  and  torpid  habit, 
who  do  better  in  the  tonic  and  stimulating  air  of  the 
Western  Riviera.  Cases  of  consumption  and  of  other 
chronic  lung  diseases  have  certainly  been  arrested  at 
Arcachon,  and  dyspeptic  persons,  in  whom  the 
dyspepsia  has  been  complicated  with  hysteria,  hypo- 
chondriasis,  and  nervous  irritability,  have  derived 


640      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

great  benefit  from  its  climate.  Arcachon  is  reached 
in  eight  hours  from  Paris  by  express  train. 

Biarritz  (43°  29'  N.  lat.)  has  in  some  respects 
the  same  qualities  as  Arcachon ;  but  as  it  lies  com- 
pletely exposed  to  the  Atlantic  winds,  with  no  pro- 
tection like  the  pine  forests  of  Arcachon,  it  is  more 
bracing  and  less  mild,  and  by  no  means  so  suit- 
able to  cases  of  chest  disease.  It  is,  however,  well 
suited  to  some  forms  of  nervous  exhaustion  and 
irritability.  Its  mean  winter  temperature  is  45*6°  F., 
mean  relative  humidity  80  per  cent.,  and  annual 
rainfall  49 J  inches. 

Its  climate  is  bright  and  exhilarating  for  a  great 
part  of  the  year  ;  the  relative  humidity  is  rather  high, 
but  owing  to  the  dryness  of  the  soil,  the  heavy  falls 
of  rain  are  rapidly  absorbed,  and  the  air  is  rarely  felt 
to  be  damp.  As  a  winter  resort  it  is  most  suitable  to 
hypochondriacal  persons  and  to  those  who  suffer  from 
depressed  states  of  the  nervous  system.  Old  Anglo- 
Indians  are  said  to  find  it  suitable  to  the  ailments  they 
are  prone  to  suffer  from.  In  the  spring  it  is  a  pleasant 
place  for  a  change  for  those  who  find  benefit  from  a 
sea  climate  with  a  fair  amount  of  bright  sunshine. 

Some  asthmatics,  and  invalids  who  require  no 
special  protection  from  strong  winds,  do  well  there. 

The  town  is  built  in  a  commanding  position  on 
bold  and  lofty  cliffs  which  dominate  from  a  consider- 
able height  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  and  form  a  part  of  the 
eastern  shores  of  the  Atlantic.  The  broken  rocky 
coast  there  is  very  picturesque,  and  Biarritz  has  many 
attractions  both  as  a  winter  and  a  summer  resort.  The 
winter  season,  during  which  it  is  chiefly  occupied  by 
English  visitors,  extends  from  November  to  the  end  of 
March.  There  are  beautiful  sands  for  bathing  and  these 
are  crowded  in  the  summer  and  autumn.  It  has  also 
a  well  appointed  thermal  bath  establishment  supplied 
by  the  natural  salt  springs  of  Briscous,  eighteen  kilo- 
metres from  Biarritz. 

The  climate  of  Biarritz  is  a  sedative  one,  and  is  in 
this  respect  contra-distinguished  from  the  somewhat 


*$AN   SEBASTIAN.  641 

exciting  climate  of  the  Mediterranean  littoral.  It  is 
also  bracing  as  well  as  sedative  ;  it  could  scarcely  be 
otherwise  with  the  strong  Atlantic  winds  blowing  over 
its  towering  cliffs  and  its  mighty  waves  dashing 
against  their  feet.  It  is  this  combination  of  bracing 
and  sedative  properties  that  makes  the  climate  of 
Biarritz  valuable  to  so  many  chronic  invalids.  It  is, 
however,  too  blustering  and  humid  a  climate  for  many 
forms  of  chest  disease,  and  it  is  on  that  account  rarely 
resorted  to  by  the  consumptive.  Some  invalids  who 
find  the  resorts  on  the  Riviera  too  exciting,  and  who 
become  sleepless  and  feverish  there,  are  benefited  by 
being  transferred  to  Biarritz.  By  the  Sud-express  it 
is  reached  in  ten  hours  from  Paris. 

St.  Jean  de  Luz,  a  little  to  the  north  of  the 
last  westward  spurs  of  the  Pyrenees,  as  they  stretch 
toward  the  Atlantic,  is  beautifully  situated  in  a 
fine  bay  a  few  miles  south  of  Biarritz,  with  the 
climate  of  which  it  has  much  in  common.  It  is,  how- 
ever, more  protected  from  winds,  being  surrounded  by 
hills  to  the  north-east  and  south-west,  and  better 
suited  therefore  to  pulmonary  invalids.  Owing  to 
its  vicinity  to  the  western  Pyrenees,  many  interesting 
excursions  can  be  made  from  it.  St.  Jean  de  Luz, 
though  duller  than  its  attractive  neighbour,  Biarritz, 
has  the  advantage  of  being  cheaper  and  of  offering 
greater  quiet  and  retirement  for  those  who  seek 
them. 

About  eight  miles  from  St.  Jean  de  Luz  is  Hendaye, 
the  last  French  village,  with  a  fine  beach  and  a 
sanatorium  for  feeble  children. 

San  Sebastian,  the  Spanish  resort,  only  ten  miles 
by  rail  from  Hendaye,  certainly  shares  the  mild 
sedative  character  of  the  adjacent  health  resorts  on 
the  south-west  coast  of  France,  while  it  would  in 
all  probability  be  found  warmer  and  more  sheltered, 
and  therefore  better  suited  to  pulmonary  visitors.  It 
is,  however,  chiefly  resorted  to  in  summer  for  its 
sea  bathing,  and  has  not  yet  been  much  frequented 
by  English  health-seekers. 


642       CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Pau.— The  climate  of  Pan  (43°  20'  N.  lat.)  has 
often  been  the  subject  of  much  controversy,  and  has 
had  its  admirers  and  its  detractors  ;  the  variability 
of  the  different  seasons,  which  is  found  in  all  European 
health  resorts,  affording  ample  support  to  both  parties. 
It  appears  to  be  generally  admitted,  however,  that  its 
climate  is  sedative,  and  that  an  unusual  stillness  of 
atmosphere  has  often  been  observed  to  prevail  there 
for  long  periods  at  a  time.  It  is  well  protected  from 
the  north  by  a  series  of  plateaux  rising  behind  the 
town,  and  the  Pyrenean  chain,  at  a  distance  of 
fifteen  miles,  affords  a  barrier  from  the  enervating 
south  winds.  It  is  unprotected,  however,  to  the 
west  and  east,  and  it  is  occasionally  visited  by  severe 
storms.  The  prevailing  winds  are  from  the  north 
and  wrest.  Its  average  winter  temperature,  from 
November  to  April,  is  43*2°,  but  little  higher  than 
that  of  London.  Its  relative  humidity  is  about  82 
per  cent.,  its  annual  rainfall  43  inches,  and  there  are 
119  rainy  days  in  the  year.  The  sandy,  porous  soil 
rapidly  absorbs  the  rain  as  it  falls.  Frost  and  snow 
and  cold  nights  are  not  uncommon  in  winter. 

Compared  with  the  French  health  resorts  on  the 
Riviera,  it  is  moister,  its  rainfall  and  number  of  rainy 
days  are  greater,  it  has  less  sunshine  and  sunheat, 
and  periods  of  cold  weather  are  more  common.  On 
the  other  hand  its  temperature  is  more  equable,  and 
it  is  much  freer  from  winds.  The  climate  of  Pau  is 
sedative,  not  bracing,  and  it  is  most  suitable  to 
irritable  nervous  persons  having  a  tendency  to  febrile 
excitement.  To  such  persons,  when  suffering  from 
chronic  chest  affections,  spasmodic  asthma,  emphy- 
sema, bronchial  catarrh,  active  forms  of  chronic 
phthisis  with  tendency  to  haemorrhage  and  laryngeal 
irritation,  the  sedative  climate  of  Pau  may  be  recom- 
mended, but  it  is  not  suited  to  relaxed  lymphatic 
persons,  nor  to  sufferers  from  loss  of  nerve  tone. 

A  small  sanatorium,  the  Trespcey  Sanatorium  for 
Consumptives,  has  been  built  on  a  hill,  half  an  hour's 
drive  from  Pau,  at  an  elevation  of  about  700  feet ;  it 


MALAGA.  643 

is  open  from  the  middle  of  October  to  the  middle  of 
May. 

Many  patients  who  pass  their  winter  at  Pau 
remove  in  the  summer  to  one  of  the  adjacent  Pyre- 
nean  resorts,  Bagneres-de-Bigorre  or  Eaux  Bonnes, 
where  they  escape  the  summer  heat  of  the  town, 
and  where  they  can  avail  themselves,  if  so  disposed, 
of  a  course  of  treatment  at  the  mineral  springs. 

The  town  of  Pau  is  splendidly  situated,  facing  the 
entire  chain  of  the  Pyrenees  at  an  elevation  of  650 
feet  above  the  sea.  It  contains  some  very  excellent 
hotels,  a  good  English  club,  and  many  other  social 
attractions.  The  season  is  from  November  to  May. 
Many  charming  excursions  can  be  taken  from  Pau 
as  a  centre.  It  is  only  a  few  hours  to  Biarritz  and 
the  shores  of  the  Bay  of  Biscay,  and  most  beautiful 
and  interesting  tours  of  any  length  can  be  made  int-o  • 
the  Pyrenees  in  the  fine  days  of  spring. 

Dax,  in  the  Department  of  the  Landes,  about 
midway  between  Pau  and  Arcachon,  with  thermal, 
mud,  and  mineral  baths,  is  described  in  Part  I., page  159. 

Passing  to  the  other  extremity  of  the  Iberian 
peninsula,  we  find  but  a  very  few  places  in  the  South 
of  Spain  suitable  for  winter  quarters ;  the  chief  of 
these  are  Malaga,  Gibraltar,  San  Lucar,  Huelva,  and 
Seville. 

These  are  all  in  the  southern  portion  of  Andalusia, 
and  situated  between  36°  8'  (the  most  southern 
Gibraltar)  and  37°  26'  (the  most  northern  Seville) 
north  latitude.  San  Lucar  and  Huelva  are  on  the 
Atlantic  south-western  coast,  Gibraltar  and  Malaga 
on  the  Mediterranean  south-eastern  coast  of  Spain, 
and  Seville  is  about  forty  miles  inland  from  the 
former. 

Malaga  (36°  44'  N.  lat.)  is  the  only  one  of 
these  Spanish  southern  stations  that  has  ever  been 
much  frequented  by  English  invalids. 

The  serious  defect  of  Malaga  as  a  resort  for 
invalids,  notwithstanding  its  admirable  climate,  is 


644      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

that  it  is  a  large,  densely  populated,  and  not  very 
healthy  town,  but  of  late  years,  since  the  improve- 
ment in  the  water  supply,  many  villas  have  been 
built  in  the  suburbs.  The  city  is  built  on  a  flat  sandy 
plain,  and  its  streets  are  narrow  and  close.  Its  climate 
is,  however,  one  of  the  most  equable  on  the  Continent, 
and  it  is  also  very  dry.  The  rainfall  is  small,  and 
there  are  on  an  average  only  40  rainy  days  in  the 
year ;  so  that  in  some  seasons  the  drought  is  very 
serious,  and  the  absence  of  water,  no  doubt,  at  times 
contributes  to  its  defective  sanitary  condition. 
There  are  great  variations,  however,  in  the  rainfall  in 
different  years.  The  water  supply  is  good  and 
abundant. 

It  is  doubtful  if  this  constant  sunshine  and  absence 
of  moisture  would  prove  invigorating  and  health- 
giving  to  the  majority  of  invalids,  unless  they  could 
at  the  same  time  live  in  fresh  country  air,  which 
appears  to  be  impossible  there.  Winter,  as  we  under- 
stand that  word  in  England,  is  almost  unknown  at 
Malaga,  or  is  very  excsptional,  the  mean  winter 
temperature  being  56°  F. ;  and  a  whole  winter  may 
pass  without  the  thermometer  sinking  to  50°  F.,  even 
at  night. 

It  is  sheltered  from  the  north,  and  to  some  extent 
from  the  east,  by  mountains  which  rise  behind  the 
town  to  the  height  of  3,000  feet.  It  lies  open  to  the 
south  and  to  the  sea.  The  winds  are  occasionally 
trying,  especially  the  prevalence  in  winter  of  the 
land-winds  or  "  Terrals,"  which  gain  access  to  Malaga 
through  a  defect  in  the  protecting  hills  to  the  north, 
and,  from  passing  over  the  snow-covered  sierras,  are 
cold  and  dry  to  a  degree  which  proves  very  irritating 
to  some  invalids. 

Owing  to  the  mildness  of  the  climate,  the  sugar- 
cane and  most  tropical  plants  flourish  there,  and  the 
eucalyptus  has  been  introduced  with  success,  and 
has,  to  some  extent,  improved  the  sanitary  condition 
of  the  portions  of  the  town  where  it  has  been  planted. 
The  orange  groves  are  particularly  fine. 


GIBRALTAR.  645 

There  is,  then,  much  in  the  climate  of  Malaga 
and  the  adjacent  coast  to  recommend  it  as  suitable 
winter  quarters  for  invalids  who  desire  to  find 
warmth  and  bright  sunshine  in  winter ;  but  the 
drawbacks  to  Malaga,  on  other  grounds,  are  very 
great.  These  are  the  discomforts  of  the  hotels,  the 
difficulty  of  getting  well-cooked  food,  the  absence 
of  objects  of  interest  in  the  town,  and  the  im- 
possibility of  invalids  getting  any  accommodation 
outside  the  town.  To  these  must  be  added  the 
trouble  of  getting  there  and  the  difficulty  of 
getting  away.  There  is  either  a  very  long  land 
journey,  twenty-six  hours  from  Paris  to  Madrid, 
twelve  hours  from  Madrid  to  Cordova,  and  six  and  a- 
half  hours  from  Cordova  to  Malaga ;  or  there  is  the 
sea  voyage  of  four  or  five  days  by  P.  &  O.  steamer 
to  Gibraltar,  and  another  short  sea  trip  from 
Gibraltar  to  Malaga,  which  is  very  trying  in  the 
small  Spanish  boats ;  the  large  boats  of  the  Com- 
pagnie  Generate  Transatlantique  are,  however,  good. 

Malaga  is  an  important  summer  resort  for  sea 
bathing. 

Most  travelled  Englishmen  are  acquainted  with 
Gibraltar  (36°  7'  N.  lat.),  and  of  late  years  a  certain 
number  of  the  robuster  class  of  English  invalids  have 
passed  some  part  of  the  winter  there.  It  has  been 
written  of  as  "  an  uncomfortable  fortress  where,  every 
way  the  traveller  turns,  he  finds  a  hill,  and  a  different 
temperature  at  every  corner  of  its  stuffy  streets."  It 
is,  however,  for  those  who  are  fairly  strong,  and  only 
require  a  little  southern  warmth  and  sunshine,  a  fairly 
healthy  and  pleasant  place  of  residence  from  Novem- 
ber to  May,  but  its  attractions  are  limited  and  cir- 
cumscribed, and  the  majority  of  visitors  begin  to  get 
tired  of  it  after  about  two  months,  and  want  to  go 
elsewhere.  Then  it  is  to  be  avoided  in  seasons 
when  the  "  rock  fever  "  is  prevalent,  the  fear  of  which 
shortens  the  stay  of  many  visitors.  Its  mean  winter 
temperature  is  given  as  54*5°  F.  The  annual  rain- 
fall is  32  inches.  One  drawback  to  the  climate 


646      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

of  Gibraltar  is  the  occasional  prevalence  of  easterly 
wind,  the  Levanter,  which  proves  irritating  arid  very 
trying  to  most  persons.  The  hotel  accommodation 
has  improved  of  late  years. 

Of  San  Lucar  very  little  need  be  said.  It  is 
situated  at  the  mouth  of  the  Guadalquivir,  where 
this  famous  river  pours  its  waters  into  the  Atlantic. 
It  enjoys  a  very  hot  climate,  but  it  is  a  dull  town, 
situated  in  a  treeless,  sandy,  undulating  country.  It 
can  be  reached  by  river  steamer  from  Seville. 

Huelva,  a  few  miles  to  the  north  of  San  Lucar,  on 
the  same  coast,  has  much  more  to  recommend  it  as  a 
winter  resort.  It  has  a  fine  situation  at  the  confluence 
of  the  Rivers  Odiel  and  Tinto,  and  the  famous  Rio 
Tinto  mines  are  about  twenty  miles  distant.  It  is  the 
seat  of  a  small  English  mining  colony,  and  is  also 
important  on  account  of  its  sardine  fisheries.  The 
water  supply  is  excellent. 

Huelva  has  a  moist,  warm,  and  equable  winter 
climate,  and  snow  has  never  been  known  there.  Its 
mean  winter  day  temperature  is.  67°  F.,  and  night 
temperature  56*30°  F.  Good  hotel  accommodation 
has  been  provided  there. 

Seville  (37°  24'  N.  lat.)  is  not  exactly  a  health 
resort,  and  yet  it  affords  an  agreeable  and  suitable 
residence  in  winter  for  certain  delicate  persons  who 
require  more  warmth  and  sunshine  than  they  can 
find  at  home.  Ice  and  snow  are  said  to  be  unknown 
there  ;  and  although  it  has  occasionally  a  wet  winter, 
the  climate  is  usually  dry,  bright,  and  sunny.  Its 
mean  temperature  in  the  coldest  month  of  winter 
(January)  is  52-2°  F.  The  mean  annual  rainfall 
is  about  29  inches,  with  34  rainy  days.  It  is 
scarcely  necessary  to  add  that  it  is  a  city  full  of 
objects  of  interest,  and  that  the  hotel  accommodation 
is  lair. 

The  Italian  cities  of  Rome  and  Naples,  although 
winter  resorts  greatly  frequented  on  account  of  the 
objects  of  interest  they  present  to  the  visitor,  can 


ROME,    NAPLES,    CASTELLAMARE.          647 

scarcely  be  regarded  as  suitable  health  resorts  for 
invalids.  Indeed,  the  excitement  and  fatigue  of  sight- 
seeing in  Rome  has  often  done  much  injury  to  invalids 
who  have  been  unwise  enough  to  yield  to  its  attrac- 
tions. Its  winter  climate  is  very  variable,  the  cold  "  tra- 
montana"  is  the  prevailing  wind, and  the  warm,  moist, 
depressing  "  sirocco  "  occasionally  blows.  The  relative 
humidity  in  winter  is  72  per  cent.,  and  in  some 
seasons  there  are  many  wet  days.  No  doubt  the  city 
of  Rome  is  in  a  much  better  sanitary  condition  than 
it  used  to  be,  and  one  rarely  hears  now  of  "  Roman 
fever,"  but  the  country  immediately  surrounding 
Rome  is  still  malarious. 

The  spring — March,  April,  and  part  of  May— is  the 
best  season  for  visitors.  To  the  mental  invalid  who 
needs  distractions  and  pleasant  occupation,  Rome 
may  be  useful. 

.  Naples,  like  Rome,  has  much  improved  of  late 
years  in  matters  of  sanitation  ;  but  it  cannot  be  said 
to  have  a  very  suitable  climate  for  invalids.  Its  mean 
winter  temperature  is  48-1°  F. ;  it  is  much  exposed  to 
the  cold  "  tramontana,"  one  of  the  most  prevalent 
winds,  and  a  good  deal  of  rain  falls,  especially  in 
November  and  December.  Indeed,  it  is  often  very 
cold  in  winter.  The  higher  part  of  the  city,  the 
neighbourhood  of  Posillipo,  is  best  suited  for  the 
residence  of  visitors.  Castellamare  di  Stabia, 
Sorrento,  and  Amalfi  are  popular  resorts  in  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  Naples. 

Castellamare  is  about  seventeen  miles  from 
Naples  by  rail  ;  it  is  a  port  on  the  Bay  of  Naples, 
and  as  it  faces  north-west  it  is  not  well  suited  as  a 
residence  for  invalids  in  winter,  but  it  is  well  adapted 
for  a  spring  and  summer  resort,  as  its  aspect  tends 
to  keep  it  cool  in  the  hot  season.  It  is  apt  at  times 
to  be  damp  and  cloudy.  It  has  sulphur  and  other 
mineral  springs. 

Sorrento  is  seven  miles  south-west  of  Castella- 
mare, by  a  fine  carriage  drive.  It  is  splendidly 
situated,  with  grand  views  over  the  Bay  of  Naples, 


648      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Vesuvius,  and  the  island  of  Capri.  It  is  a  warm  and 
sunny  resort,  but  is  exposed  to  north-west  winds. 
There  is  good  hotel  accommodation  there. 

Amalfi,  on  the  Gulf  of  Salerno,  is  twenty-four 
miles  south-east  of  Naples.  It  is  a  most  beautifully 
situated  and  interesting  town.  It  faces  south,  and 
it  is  much  more  sheltered  from  the  cold  north  wind 
than  the  preceding  resorts.  It  is  the  best  and  sunniest 
winter  resort  in  this  neighbourhood,  and  the  accom- 
modation is  good.  These  resorts  are  useful  in  the 
spring  for  invalids  returning  to  Europe  from  Egypt 
and  other  African  resorts. 

Abbazia  (45°  20'  N.  lat.)  is  an  Austrian  winter  re- 
sort, and  has  been  termed  "  the  Nice  of  the  Adriatic," 
and  "the  Austrian  Mentone."  It  is  situated  on  the 
eastern  shore  of  the  peninsula  of  Istria  at  the  head 
of  the  beautiful  Gulf  of  Fiume,  and  is  much  frequented 
for  its  mild  winter  climate  by  those  who  wish  to 
escape  from  the  cold  of  Vienna,  Prague,  Buda-Pesth, 
and  other  towns  of  Austro-Hungary.  It  is  also  a 
popular  sea  bathing  resort  in  summer.  It  is  a  drive  of 
about  four  miles  from  Mattughi  station,  thirteen  hours 
by  rail  from  Vienna,  and  three  hours  from  Trieste. 
It  can  also  be  reached  by  small  steamer  from  Fiume 
in  eighty  minutes. 

It  enjoys  complete  shelter  from  the  west  by  the 
Monte  Maggiore  behind  it,  more  than  4,000  feet  high, 
but  it  is  imperfectly  protected  from  the  dreaded  "bora" 
or  north-east  wind,  and  it  is  often  visited  by  the 
sirocco,  which  blows  there  as  a  hot  and  rainy  wind. 
It  has  a  sunny  south  or  south-eastern  aspect,  with  a 
fine  view  over  the  Straits  of  Quarnero,  at  the  top  of 
the  Adriatic,  the  islands  of  Veglia  and  Cherso,  and 
the  coast  line  of  Croatia.  Its  mean  temperature  for 
the  coldest  month  (January)  is  40-6°  F.,  and  for  the 
winter  42-8°  to  44*6°  F.  The  annual  rainfall  is  large, 
66  inches,  snow  falls  on  an  average  about  five  da)^s 
in  the  winter,  and  severe  frosts  are  not  uncommon. 
Its  relative  humidity  in  winter  is  also  rather  high, 
80  per  cent.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  it  is  much 


CORSICA.  649 

less  warm  and  dry  than  the  resorts  on  the  Western 
Riviera,  and  cannot,  therefore,  be  attractive  to 
English  invalids  in  winter,  but  it  affords  the  dwellers 
in  the  Austro- Hungarian  cities  a  comparatively 
pleasant  climate  during  some  of  the  winter  months. 
The  vegetation  is  rich  and  varied — there  are  good 
hotels,  with  beautiful  gardens  and  many  charming 
walks,  including  a  promenade  of  three  miles  along 
the  sea  coast.  It  is  said  that  there  are  no  mosquitoes 
there  in  summer. 

There  are  many  interesting  and  valuable  climatic 
resorts  in  some  of  the  islands  of  the  Mediterranean. 

In  Corsica  the  only  really  available  winter  resort 
is  the  beautifully  situated  town  of  Ajaccio  (41°  54' 
N.  lat.),  on  a  fine  bay  facing  south-west  and  protected 
from  the  north  and  the  east  by  high  mountain  ranges. 
It  is  thus  greatly  sheltered  from  cold  \vinds,  but  is 
exposed  to  the  south-west.  It  has  a  great  number 
of  bright  sunny  days,  but  it  is  undoubtedly  a 
more  humid  climate  than  the  French  Riviera.  Its 
mean  humidity  is  80  per  cent.,  its  average  winter 
temperature  54°  F.,  and  spring  temperature  59°  F. 
There  is  a  moderate  but  not  excessive  daily  range 
of  temperature. 

On  an  average  there  are  thirty-five  rainy  days 
during  the  winter  and  spring  months.  A  great 
advantage  is  the  absence  of  dust  and  mosquitoes. 
The  scenery  is  magnificent  and  the  country  interest- 
ing. Some  who  have  spent  a  winter  season  there 
speak  of  it  with  enthusiasm,  especially  sufferers  from 
asthma.  There  are  beautiful  drives  and  walks 
along  well-kept  roads,  the  vegetation  is  luxurious, 
and  odorous  shrubs  and  flowers  are  abundant,  so  that 
the  whole  island  is  fragrant  with  them. 

Steamers  belonging  to  the  Compagnie  Trans- 
atlantique,  from  Marseilles,  perform  the  journey  in 
fitteen  hours,  and  from  Nice  in  ten  hours.  There  are 
also  steamers  from  Leghorn  to  Bastia — the  least 
stormy  part  of  the  Mediterranean — in  six  hours. 


650      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

There  is  a  railway  from  Bastia  to  Ajaccio  passing 
through  very  fine  scenery. 

The  climate  of  this  place  is  no  doubt  of  great 
value  in  cases  of  protracted  convalescence  from  acute 
disease  ;  in  some  cases  of  chronic  rheumatism  and 
gout,  requiring  a  mild  and  sunny  winter  climate  and 
not  too  stimulating  an  atmosphere ;  in  cases  of 
chronic  chest  disease  without  any  tendency  to  active 
symptoms,  and  where  there  is  plenty  of  reserve  force  ; 
while  it  would  seem  to  be  very  beneficial  to  certain 
asthmatics.  It  must  be  remembered  that  it  is  a  more 
equable  and  moister  climate  than  that  of  the  Riviera, 
and  warmer,  and  being  more  sedative  it  is  more 
suitable  to  certain  cases  of  neuralgia  and  insomnia. 
There  are  comfortable  villas  built  round  the  town, 
where  good  accommodation  can  be  obtained,  and 
there  are  also  good  hotels  situated  at  an  elevation  of 
some  hundred  feet  above  the  sea. 

The  well-known  gaseous  chalybeate  springs  of 
Orezza  are  about  eighty  miles  distant  among  the 
mountains  in  the  north-eastern  part  of  Corsica.  The 
village  of  Orezza  is  situated  about  2,000  feet  above 
the  sea  and  has  an  hotel  and  bath  establishment.  It 
is  a  place  of  summer,  not  winter  resort. 

In  the  island  of  Sicily  there  are  four  places  that 
have  been  commended  as  winter  resorts  :  Palermo, 
Taormina,  Catania,  and  Acireale. 

Catania  ai.d  Acireale  do  not  offer  any  great 
attractions  to  English  health-seekers,  and  but  very 
little  need  be  said  of  them  here.  As  a  change  from 
Palermo,  when  one  is  tired  of  that  place,  either  of 
these  towns,  or  both,  may  be  visited. 

Catania  is  a  modern,  popular,  and  busy  town. 
Its  mean  winter  temperature  is  53'8°,  and  its  daily 
range  of  temperature  14*5°.  There  is  less  humidity 
of  atmosphere  and  less  equability  of  temperature 
than  at  Palermo,  and  there  is  a  considerable  difference 
between  the  day  and  night  temperature.  There  is 
often  a  great  deal  of  wind  and  dust,  particularly  in  the 
months  of  December  and  April.  The  east  winds  are 


CATANIA,    ACIREALE,    TAORMINA.         651 

disagreeable,  and  the  sirocco  blows  at  times.  Catania 
has  only  40  rainy  days  in  the  year.  The  low  tem- 
perature at  night  is  doubtless  due  to  the  adjacency 
of  the  snow  fields  of  Mount  Etna,  at  the  base  of 
which  this  town  lies.  The  environs,  composed  of  lava, 
are  bare  and  desolate,  and  the  place,  though  warm 
and  sunny,  is  not  suited  to  delicate  invalids. 

Acireale  is  ten  miles  north  of  Catania  and  nearer 
Messina,  from  which  town  it  is  about  two  hours  by 
rail.  It  is  560  feet  above  the  sea,  on  the  southern 
slopes  of  Mount  Etna.  It  possesses  warm  mineral 
springs,  which  are  much  frequented  in  summer,  and  a 
fine  bath  establishment  and  hotel — "  Grand  Albergo 
dei  Bagni  "  —which  is  surrounded  by  gardens  and  has 
fine  views.  It  has  been  found  "  cold  and  desolate  "  in 
winter,  and  is  too  exposed  and  windy  for  invalids. 
Its  climate  resembles  that  of  Catania  ;  but  owing  to 
its  elevation,  its  atmosphere  is  no  doubt  fresher. 

Taormina,  from  the  beauty  and  salubrity  of  its 
situation,  is  a  very  attractive  winter  resort.  It  lies 
on  the  eastern  coast  of  Sicily  between  Messina  and 
Acireale,  and  is  approached  from  the  Giardini  railway 
station  by  a  drive  of  two  or  three  miles  up  a  very 
steep  hill  on  which  it  is  built,  at  an  elevation  of  about 
400  feet  above  the  sea.  It  commands  magnificent 
views  over  the  sea  and  the  opposite  coast  of  Italy, 
and  of  Mount  Etna,  which  lies  to  the  south-west. 
It  is  reached  from  Naples  in  about  fourteen  hours. 
As  to  its  climate,  it  is  reported  to  have  great  equability 
of  temperature  and  much  sunshine,  allowing  of  many 
hours  being  passed  daily  in  the  open  air,  in  protected 
situations,  from  January  to  April.  December  is  a 
rainy  month.  There  are  some  famous  ruins  of  a 
Greek  theatre  there.  Excellent  hotel  accommodation 
is  provided.  It  is  a  popular  resort  with  Germans. 

Palermo  (38°  6'  N.  lat.)  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  winter  stations  to  be  found  in  Europe.  Its 
situation  is  one  of  great  beauty,  surrounded  by  an 
amphitheatre  of  mountains  forming  at  each  extremity 
an  arm  of  the  beautiful  bay  which  thfc  town  faces. 


652      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Between  the  town  and  the  mountains  a  richly  culti- 
vated plain  rises  gradually  for  about  four  miles  till  it 
reaches  their  base  ;  this,  from  its  shell-like  form,  has 
been  named  the  Concha  d'Oro.  The  town  itself  is 
finely  built,  and  beautiful  public  and  private  gardens 
and  luxuriant  vegetation  surround  it.  There  is  a 
fine  promenade  by  the  sea,  the  Marina,  commanding 
magnificent  views,  and  there  are  varied  excursions, 
and  objects  of  much  interest  in  and  around  the  city. 
There  are  steamers  from  Naples  daily  in  about  twelve 
hours  ;  by  this  route  Palermo  can  be  reached  in  three 
days  from  London. 

A  sanatorium  for  invalids  (the  Villa  Igeia)  has 
been  built  in  a  fine  situation  on  the  coast  to  the 
north  of  the  city,  with  a  southern  aspect  and  good 
protection  from  the  north.  The  visitors  all  have 
south  rooms  facing  the  sea. 

The  winter  climate  of  Palermo  is  warm,  but  it  is 
also  damp  and  moist.  It  has  a  good  many  rainy 
days,  although  its  rainfall  is  not  great.  November 
is  usually  a  very  wet  month,  and  visitors  for  the 
winter  should  not  arrive  before  December.  It  has  a 
warmer  and  moister  winter  climate  than  the  Western 
Riviera,  more  equable  and  freer  from  those  sudden 
and  great  transitions  between  the  day  and  night 
temperature.  It  is  a  good  deal  exposed  to  winds 
from  the  north,  north-east,  and  north-west ;  these, 
however,  blow  across  the  Mediterranean  before  they 
reach  Palermo,  and  thus  become  somewhat  warmed 
and  charged  with  moisture.  It  is  also  subject,  with 
the  rest  of  the  island,  to  occasional  visitations  of  the 
African  sirocco,  which,  no  doubt,  serves  to  raise  the 
average  winter  temperature,  and  is  felt,  while  it 
prevails,  as  a  most  pernicious  influence — dry,  hot, 
and  exhausting. 

The  mean  temperature  for  the  coldest  winter 
month  (January)  is  5i'6°F.  The  mean  daily  range 
is  about  io*5°F.  The  soil  is  damp  in  parts,  and  the 
glare  of  the  sun  is  often  found  very  trying  to  the 
eyes. 


MALTA.  653 

Apart  from  the  trouble  of  getting  to  Palermo  for 
those  who  dread  a  long  land  journey  to  Naples  and 
then  twelve  hours  of  sea,  it  is  not  well  suited  for 
invalids  requiring  delicate  care  and  protection  from 
winds,  or  for  those  whom  a  moist  and  warm  climate 
unduly  relaxes  and  depresses  ;  so  also,  like  Algiers,  it 
seems  not  to  be  suited  to  persons  who  are  predis- 
posed to  bilious  disorders.  Its  climate  is  somewhat 
of  an  intermediate  one  between  that  of  Madeira  and 
that  of  the  Riviera.  It  is  colder  and  dryer  than 
Madeira,  warmer,  moister,  and  more  equable  than 
the  Riviera.  We  may  expect  to  find  this  climate 
suitable  to  those  cases  of  chronic  or  sub-febrile  phthisis 
for  which  a  dryer  and  less  equable  climate  is  too 
exciting,  or  which  suffer  from  a  tendency  to  haemor- 
rhage or  to  dry  catarrh  of  the  hrynx  and  trachea ; 
also  to  the  gouty  bronchitic  with  tenacious,  scanty 
secretion  ;  it  is  suitable  to  irritable  neurasthenics  and 
to  those  exhausted  from  over- work  or  worry,  who  are 
likely  to  derive  benefit  from  the  life  of  brightness 
and  the  many  objects  of  interest  to  be  found  in  a 
large  historic  city  in  the  midst  of  beautiful  surround- 
ings. It  is  not  likely  to  suit  the  bronchial  or 
asthmatic  patient  with  profuse  secretion  so  well 
as  the  dry  air  of  Egypt  or  the  Riviera.  It  is  too 
damp  and  windy  also  for  the  rheumatic. 

It  has  been  said  to  be  "  one  of  the  great  advantages 
of  Malta  (35°  53'  N.  lat.)  as  a  health  resort  that 
invalids  can  so  easily  get  away  from  it !  "  But  it  is 
very  doubtful  if  invalids  in  the  strict  sense  of  the 
word  ought  ever  to  go  there.  A  low  island,  nowhere 
rising  above  600  feet  from  the  sea'  level,  without 
protection  from  mountains  or  forests,  in  the  centre 
of  the  Mediterranean,  exposed  to  every  wind  that 
blows,  with  frequent  and  abundant  rain  in  the 
winter — such  a  place  can  scarcely  be  a  suitable 
resort  for  delicate  invalids,  whatever  social  attrac- 
tions its  official  society  may  seem  to  present.  The 
climate  of  Malta  is  a  very  equable  one,  the  difference 
between  the  night  and  day  temperature  not  being 


654      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

more  than  4°  or  5°  F.  in  winter  ;  and  this  quality  may 
be  serviceable  to  some  who  are  very  sensitive  to 
changes  of  temperature,  and  who  find  they  avoid 
catarrhal  attacks  in  such  a  climate.  The  relaxing 
effects  of  such  an  equable  climate  are  certainly 
counteracted,  to  some  extent,  by  the  bracing  in- 
fluences of  the  sea  winds,  but  in  still  conditions  of 
atmosphere  it  must  be  very  enervating.  It  should  be 
borne  in  mind  that  seasons  vary  greatly  at  Malta,  so 
much  exposed  as  it  is  to  weather,  and  in  fine  seasons 
it  has  been  found  a  very  pleasant  winter  resort. 
The  mean  winter  temperature  is  56°  F. 

As  all  the  gardens  are  inclosed  by  high  stone 
walls,  to  protect  the  trees  and  shrubs  from  the 
winds,  the  island  has  an  unusually  barren  and  formal 
appearance. 

A  stay  of  two  or  three  weeks  at  Malta,  in  con- 
nection with  a  short  sea  voyage  by  a  P.  &  O. 
steamer  to  the  Mediterranean  and  back,  may  be 
recommended  in  certain  cases  of  over-work  or  over- 
strain, where  temporary  repose  in  a  soothing  and  yet 
moderately  bracing  climate,  with  cheerful  surround- 
ings, is  needed. 

The  Island  of  Corfu,  in  the  Ionian  Sea  (39q  30' 
N.  lat.),  a  few  miles  from  the  coast  of  Albania,  owing 
to  its  somewhat  inconstant  and  changeable  winter 
climate,  is  not  exactly  suited  for  the  more  serious 
class  of  invalids  to  winter  in. 

From  the  situation  of  the  town — facing  the  coast 
mountains  of  Albania,  which  are  eight  or  ten  miles 
distant — it  is  very  insufficiently  sheltered  from  the 
continental  winds  which,  in  winter,  blow  over  the 
snow-topped  mountains  opposite  it.  When  the  wind 
comes  from  the  north-east,  which  it  frequently  does, 
it  must  be  unpleasantly  cold  ;  and  when  from  the 
south-east,  which  is  also  a  prevailing  wind,  it  must  be 
disagreeably  relaxing.  The  mean  temperature  in 
January  and  February  is  said  to  be  about  50°  F.,  and  in 
April  about  60°  F.,  so  that  it  has  a  decidedly  southern 
climate  so  far  as  average  temperature  is  concerned. 


CORFU  AND   CAPRI.  655 

The  mean  relative  humidity  varies  between  70  and 
80  per  cent,  so  that  it  is  also  rather  a  moist  climate, 
and  there  is  a  considerable  rainfall,  chiefly  in  the 
early  part  of  the  winter,  with  about  72  rainy  days 
between  November  and  April. 

The  island  is  moreover  subject  to  fogs  which  often 
last  some  time  ;  but  on  the  other  hand  it  is  very  free 
from  dust. 

Corfu  is  a  suitable  resort  for  the  more  robust  class 
of  invalids  who  are  able  to  lead  a  fairly  active  life, 
who  require  plenty  of  exercise  and  sport,  if  it  can 
be  got,  and  who  would  be  able  to  avail  themselves  of 
the  attractive  excursions  for  sport  and  pleasure  which 
this  charming  island  affords.  As  a  change  for  a  month 
in  spring  from  some  other  southern  winter  resort,  as 
in  the  transition  from  Egypt  to  Europe,  it  is  highly 
to  be  commended. 

The  town,  together  with  the  bay,  lies  open  to  the 
south  and  south-east.  There  is  always  some  move- 
ment in  the  air,  a  breeze  blowing  in  from  the  sea 
till  three  in  the  afternoon  when  the  land  breeze 
sets  in.  The  streets  of  the  town  are  lively  and 
attractive,  and  filled  with  varied  picturesque  costumes 
showing  that  it  is  a  sort  of  link  between  the  east  and 
the  west.  The  principal  hotels  are  good,  and  the 
roads  all  over  the  island  excellent. 

It  can  be  reached  by  steamer  either  from  Trieste 
in  two  days  or  from  Brindisi  in  twelve  hours. 

The  beautiful  island  of  Capri  (40°  32'  N.  lat.) 
in  the  magificent  bay  of  Naples,  and  twenty-one  miles 
from  that  city,  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  of  winter 
resorts. 

The  island  is,  for  the  most  part,  surrounded  by 
precipitous  cliffs  affording  only  two  landing  places, 
one  on  its  north  and  the  other  on  its  south  side. 
The  town  of  Capri,  with  its  white-washed,  flat- 
topped  houses,  its  dark  covered  archways,  and  its 
palm-trees,  has  quite  an  Oriental  aspect.  Its  hilly 
slopes  are  covered  with  vineyards  and  olive 
groves. 


656      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

It  is  usually  approached  from  Naples  by  steamboat 
touching  at  Sorrento  on  the  way. 

Capri  affords  a  delightful  winter  climate,  and  a 
most  comfortable  residence  for  invalids  who  are  not 
very  weak  or  delicate,  but  who  retain  a  considerable 
amount  of  physical  vigour,  and  are  able  to  take  a 
good  amount  of  exercise  out  of  doors  up  and  down 
hill. 

Its  insular  position  gives  it  quite  a  sea  climate  ; 
it  has  been  compared  to  a  ship  in  mid-ocean,  and 
the  effects  of  a  residence  there  has  been  likened  to  a 
sea  voyage  without  its  accidents  and  discomforts.  It 
has  the  equable  temperature  of  sea  climates,  and  one 
is  not  exposed  there  to  that  chill,  when  the  sun  goes 
down,  which  is  encountered  in  the  Riviera,  and  even 
at  Naples  only  twenty  miles  off.  But  Capri  has  also  a 
dry  climate.  Much  less  rain  falls  there  than  on  the 
shores  of  the  Bay  of  Naples,  or  on  the  island  of 
Ischia  at  the  other  horn  of  the  bay.  The  clouds  pass 
over  the  island  and  break  on  the  heights  behind 
Naples,  so  that  there  is  often  a  great  dearth  of  water 
at  Capri.  Owing  to  the  amount  of  clear  blue  sky, 
and  the  reflection  from  the  surrounding  sea,  this 
little  island  is  very  bright  and  sunny.  On  account  of 
its  form  (it  is  somewhat  saddle-shaped),  the  central 
depression,  where  the  town  is  situated,  enjoys  con- 
siderable protection  from  east  and  west  winds  by 
the  elevated  ground  at  each  end.  It  is  ex- 
posed to  the  winds  from  the  north  and  south  ;  the 
invalid  can,  however,  choose  either  side  of  the  island 
for  his  walks.  When  the  north  wind  is  blowing  he 
can  confine  himself  to  the  southern  side  of  the 
island,  and  when  the  wind  is  from  the  south,  to  the 
northern. 

Capri  has  good  hotel  accommodation  at  a 
moderate  price. 

There  is  much  to  commend  Capri  to  the  more 
active  and  robust  class  of  invalids,  who  desire  to 
escape  from  the  northern  winter  and.  get  winter  sun- 
shine in  combination  with  beautiful  scenery,  pure  air, 


MONTREUX.  657 

and  comfortable  entertainment.  The  drawbacks  are 
its  distance  from  home,  and  the  difficulty  and  trouble  of 
crossing  to  and  from  Naples  in  bad  weather,  so  that 
one  may  be  detained  several  days  at  either  place ; 
also  the  very  few  roads  and  paths,  and  the  absence  of 
English  doctors.  It  is  not  suited  to  cases  of  advanced 
consumption,  but  may  be  recommended  in  early  or 
stationary  cases  with  but  a  small  amount  of  disease 
and  plenty  of  physical  strength. 

We  have  yet  to  notice  a  few  climatic  winter 
resorts,  most  of  them  on,  or  adjacent  to,  large  lakes, 
as  Montreux  on  the  Lake  of  Geneva,  Locarno  on 
Lago  Maggiore,  Lugano  on  the  lake  of  that  name, 
Riva  on  the  Lago  di  Garda,  the  adjacent  resort 
Arco,  and  the  not  far  distant  Meran  and  Innsbruck. 
None  of  these  has  what  can  be  called  a  warm 
climate,  in  winter  some  of  them  are  decidedly  cold, 
and  some  have  a  fair  amount  of  moisture ;  but 
they  respond,  some  of  them,  to  local  needs,  and 
are  also  adapted  to  satisfy  the  idiosyncrasies  of 
certain  invalids,  who  dislike  what  they  term  the 
"  glare  "  of  the  Mediterranean  coast — or  the  winds 
of  the  Atlantic — or  the  dust  and  flies  of  Egypt 
and  of  certain  other  stations.  Their  intermediate 
character  often  renders  them  useful  as  transition 
resorts  in  spring  and  autumn. 

Montreux  is  situated  on  the  north-eastern  shore 
of  the  Lake  of  Geneva.  The  district  known  as 
Montreux  really  comprises  several  villages,  stretch- 
ing from  Clarens  to  Veytaux. 

The  village  of  Montreux  itself  enjoys  a  more 
sheltered  position  than  any  of  the  others.  The 
indentation  of  the  lake,  which  is  here  called  the  Bay 
of  Montreux,  is  protected  by  the  mountains  around 
from  the  north  and  east  winds,  and  in  some  degree 
from  the  north-west  winds.  The  "  bise  " — the  cold 
north-east  wind — is  not  nearly  so  much  felt  at 
Montreux  as  at  Geneva,  and  the  temperature  is 
more  equable. 


658       CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Montreux,  though  open,  dry,  and  sunny,  and  with 
a  considerable  number  of  clear  days,  has  a  large  rain- 
fall, and',  as  has  been  said,  must  not  be  regarded  as  a 
warm  winter  climate.  Its  mean  winter  temperature 
is  36-5°  F. 

There  are  about  140  rainy  days  in  the  year; 
and  the  rainfall  is  considerable,  much  greater  than 
at  adjacent  stations,  the  mean  annual  quantity  being 
46  inches. 

The  atmosphere  is  of  medium  humidity  (annual 
mean  73-2  per  cent.),  and  in  some  winters  fogs  are 
not  unknown.  Owing  to  its  protection  from  winds, 
the  air  is  usually  calm  and  still. 

In  an  average  winter  a  good  deal  of  cold  weather 
must  be  expected  at  Montreux,  as  its  mean  winter 
and  spring  temperature  is  some  5°  F.  lower  than 
that  of  Ventnor ;  but  in  favourable  seasons,  on  the 
other  hand,  a  good  many  bright,  clear,  sunny  days 
may  be  expected  and  comparatively  few  rainy  ones. 
In  November,  however,  there  are  often  many  cold, 
damp  days.  The  average  amount  of  sunshine  in 
ths  winter  is  much  lower  than  in  many  other 
resorts,  only  56-3  hours  in  December,  and  66-9 
in  January.  The  amount  of  possible  sunshine  is 
small  in  the  shortest  day  of  winter,  at  Veytaux 
only  5  hours. 

In  spring  the  weather  is  often  very  variable. 
There  are  perhaps  some  very  fine  days,  and  then 
a  sudden  and  unexpected  return  of  cold  with  rain 
or  snow ;  so  that  invalids  need  to  take  great 
precautions  at  this  season.  Patients  often  ascend 
to  Glion  at  this  period  of  the  year.  Few  people 
spend  the  summer  at  Montreux,  on  account  of 
the  heat,  but  the  autumn  is  a  fine  season  up  to 
the  middle  of  October,  when  storms  of  rain  fre- 
quently set  in  and  there  is  occasionally  a  passing 
snow-fall. 

It  is  an  advantage  at  Montreux  to  have  such 
mountain  stations  as  Glion,  Les  Avants  and  Caux 
readily  accessible ;  for  in  some  seasons  there  is 


LOCARNO   AND    LUGANO.  659 

much  more  sunshine  to  be  found  at  the  higher  resorts 
than  at  the  lower  one. 

The  climate  of  Montreux  is,  on  the  whole,  some- 
what sedative,  and  seems  to  suit  excitable  people 
who  find  they  do  not  sleep  well  on  the  Riviera.  The 
influence  on  the  climate  of  the  adjacency  of  a 
large  lake,  is  like  that  of  the  sea  on  the  sea- 
coast — it  increases  its  equability — moderates  the 
cold  of  winter  and  the  heat  of  summer.  It  is  a 
well-known  station  for  the  grape  cure  in  autumn. 

Locarno  (46°  16'  N.  lat.)  is  at  the  north  or  Swiss 
end  of  Lago  Maggiore,  and  reached  by  a  branch  line 
from  Bellinzona  on  the  St.  Gothard  Railway.  Being 
on  the  western  shore  of  the  lake,  it  has  an  eastern 
aspect.  Its  elevation  above  the  sea  is  about  700  feet. 
The  little  town  is  well  protected  by  high  mountains 
to  the  north  and  south,  less  so  to  the  west.  The 
winds  from  the  east  and  south-east  are  broken  by 
the  mountains  which  separate  this  lake  from  the 
Lake  of  Lugano.  It  has  a  rich,  sub-tropical  vege- 
tation. Its  winter  climate  is  mild  and  sunny,  with  a 
large  proportion  of  clear  skies.  The  adjacency  of 
the  lake  moderates  the  temperature  of  the  air  by 
its  temperature  (44*24°  F.  in  winter),  and  by  re- 
flection of  sun-heat  from  its  surface.  The  mean 
temperature  of  January  —  the  coldest  month — is 
35°  F.  There  are  on  an  average  in  the  winter  six 
months,  about  40  days,  when  rain  falls.  Snow  is 
rare,  but  there  is  a  heavy  rainfall  in  the  autumn. 
Mists  occasionally  appear,  but  are  of  brief  duration. 
There  is  but  little  wind  in  winter,  and  the  atmo- 
sphere is  very  still.  The  winter  climate  may  be 
described  as  sedative,  mild  and  equable,  with  little 
wind,  no  dust,  and  much  sunshine.  It  is  a  suitable 
intermediate  station  for  such  cases  as  are  sent  to  the 
South — chiefly  chronic  affections  of  the  respiratory, 
circulatory,  and  renal  organs — seeking  a  quiet,  restful 
resort,  free  from  excitement  and  gaiety. 

Lugano  (46°  N.  lat),  most  picturesquely  situated 
on   the  lake    of  that  name,  with  a  station  on   the 


66o      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

St.  Gothard  Railway,  is,  like  Locarno,  a  very 
suitable  intermediate  resort  for  those  who  have 
wintered  in  the  South,  or  are  about  to  do  so.  Its 
protection  from  prevailing  cold  winds  is  not 
very  complete,  its  rainfall  is  considerable,  and  it  is 
rather  humid.  Its  mean  temperature  for  the  coldest 
winter  month  (January)  is  34-5°  F.,  rather  colder 
than  Locarno,  and  its  relative  humidity  for  the 
same  month  is  81  per  cent.  There  is,  however,  a 
large  daily  average  of  sunshine,  viz.  4.15  hours  in 
January.  Rain  is  rare  in  winter,  but  heavy  falls 
usually  occur  in  autumn  and  late  spring. 

The  climate  is  sedative,  rather  humid,  with  much 
sunshine.  It  is  suitable  to  some  forms  of  bronchial 
catarrh,  cardiac  affections,  rheumatism  and  nervous 
dyspepsia,  and  to  convalescents —to  those  who  find 
the  Riviera  district  too  exciting. 

Riva  (45°  54'  N.  lat.),  in  Austria,  is  in  a  fine 
situation  at  the  north  end  of  the  Lago  di  Garda,  with 
beautiful  country  for  excursions  around.  It  is  too 
little  protected  from  the  cold  north  and  south-east 
winds  to  afford  a  suitable  winter  residence  for  delicate 
invalids.  The  period  of  sunshine  in  winter  days  is 
short,  and  the  atmosphere  is  often  damp  and  misty. 
The  mean  temperature  for  the  three  winter  months 
is  38-8°  F.  It  is  better  suited  for  a  stay  in  autumn 
than,  in  winter.  On  the  western  shore  of  the  Garda 
lake,  in  a  more  protected  and  sunny  situation,  there 
are  some  resorts  frequented  chiefly  by  Germans  in 
the  winter  :  the  best  known  of  these  is  Gardone- 
Riviera,  which  has  a  mild,  equable  climate,  with  but 
little  wind  and  dust,  and  is  frequented  by  convales- 
cents from  acute  disease,  chronic  pulmonary  invalids, 
and  neurasthenic  cases. 

Arco,  another  Austrian  winter  resort  much 
frequented  by  Germans,  is  situated  only  three 
miles  from  Riva  to  the  north-east,  in  the  Sarca 
Valley.  It  has  much  the  same  winter  temperature  as 
Riva,  but  it  is  better  protected  from  cold  winds  by 
surrounding  mountains.  As  a  winter  climate  it  enjoys 


MERAN.  66 1 

much  protection  from  prevailing  winds,  has  a 
moderate  degree  of  humidity  and  much  sunshine. 
Arco  has  been  developed  by  the  Austrians  as  a 
winter  resort,  and  is  provided  with  institutions  for 
applications  of  hydrotherapy  and  inhalation  treat- 
ment. It  is  visited  as  an  alternative  to  the  warmer 
southern  resorts  by  patients  \vho,  for  various  reasons, 
may  not  desire  or  be  able  to  visit  the  latter. 

Meran  (46°  41 '  N.  lat),  once  the  capital  of  Tirol, 
is  situated  about  eighteen  miles  by  rail  from  Botzen 
on  the  line  of  rail  connecting  Innsbruck  and  Verona. 
The  situation  of  Meran  is  exceedingly  picturesque, 
placed  as  it  is  on  the  southern  slopes  of  the  Alps  of 
the  Austrian  Tyrol,  at  an  elevation  of  from  920  to 
i, 1 80  feet  above  the  sea,  on  the  banks  of  the  Passer, 
about  half-a-mile  above  its  confluence  with  the  Adige. 
Its  position  is  a  very  sheltered  one,  as  it  is  sur- 
rounded on  all  sides  by  mountains,  except  towards 
the  south,  towards  the  wride  and  extensive  valley  of 
the  Adige,  where  it  lies  fully  exposed  to  the  southern 
sun  as  well  as  to  the  full  fury  of  the  south  wind,  which 
occasionally  blows  with  considerable  violence  ;  but  it 
is  protected  to  a  great  extent  by  lofty  mountains, 
some  rising  as  high  as  10,000  feet,  to  the  north,  the 
east,  and  the  west. 

It  is  to  this  exceptionally  protected  situation 
that  it  owes  its  peculiar  climatic  advantages. 

In  the  first  place  it  is  an  exceptionally  dry 
climate.  It  has  an  average  of  only  52  rainy  days 
in  the  whole  year,  and  only  13  during  the  \vinter. 
On  an  average  it  has  seven  days  of  snow  in  the 
winter,  so  that  it  is  not  a  wrarm  climate,  its  mean 
temperature  for  the  coldest  month  (January)  being 
32*6°  F.  Meran  has  a  dry  and  cold  \vinter  climate  ; 
but  the  cold  is  much  better  borne,  is  more  tonic  and 
far  less  depressing  than  in  a  place  which  is  damp  as 
well  as  cold.  The  cold  is  also  better  borne  because 
of  the  absence  of  wind,  the  protecting  girdle  of  moun- 
tains keeping  off  all  winds  except  that  from  the  south. 
The  sun  heat,  owing  to  its  exposure  to  the  south,  is 


662      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

very  considerable,  especially  at  mid-day,  and  there  are 
an  unusual  number  of  bright  sunny  days  in  winter. 

Owing  to  the  dry  ness  of  the  air,  the  intensity  of 
solar  radiation,  and  the  absence  of  winds,  invalids  are 
able  to  remain  in  the  open  air  at  lower  temperatures 
than  would  otherwise  be  possible.  For  the  same 
reasons  the  difference  between  sun  and  shade  tem- 
perature at  mid-day  is  often  considerable,  as  much  as 
27°  F.,  so  that  while  it  is  freezing  in  the  shade,  you 
may  have  a  pleasant  temperature  of  about  60°  F.  in 
the  sun.  The  mean  annual  relative  humidity  is 
67*8  per  cent. 

A  medical  correspondent,  writing  in  January, 
remarks  :  "  Skating  has  been  in  full  swing  here  since 
early  in  December  ;  and  invalids  and  ladies  are  daily 
seen  sitting  on  the  bank  looking  on,  and  shielding 
themselves  from  the  sun  with  shades  and  fans  !  Most 
people  wear  during  the  mid-day  only  a  light  over- 
coat ;  and  some,  none  at  all.  The  morning  and  the 
evening,  after  sunset,  are  cold,  and  then  feeble  invalids 
keep  within  the  houses,  which  are  comfortable  and 
well  warmed."  There  is  an  excellent  Kurhaus  with  a 
resident  physician,  a  staff  of  nurses,  baths  of  various 
kinds,  "  pneumatic "  chambers,  reading  rooms, 
restaurants,  theatre,  etc.,  etc.  There  are  numerous 
good  hotels  and  pensions  there,  as  well  as  at  the 
villages  of  Untermais  and  Obermais  on  the  opposite 
bank  of  the  Passer. 

Patients  often  move  further  south  about  the  end 
of  February,  when  troublesome  unsettled  spring 
weather  is  apt  to  set  in  and  to  continue  through 
March,  with  occasional  dust  storms.  Its  summer 
climate  is  oppressively  hot,  but  in  the  autumn 
it  is,  like  Montreux,  a  favourite  locality  for  the 
grape  cure. 

The  class  of  invalids  to  whom  the  climate  of 
Meran  seems  best  suited  are  those  suffering  from 
pulmonary  disease,  who  find  by  experience  that  a 
dry'  and  bracing  climate  suits  them  better  than  a 
warmer  moist  one,  and  who  can  bear  a  certain 


INNSBRUCK.  663 

amount  of  cold  in  winter  without  being  made 
uncomfortable  by  it,  e.g.  certain  cases  of  chronic 
bronchial  catarrh,  of  asthma  and  of  emphysema, 
especially  when  treatment  in  the  pneumatic 
chambers  is  desired  ;  certain  forms  of  chronic 
phthisis  before  the  lung  has  broken  down  and  where 
there  is  no  tendency  to  haemorrhage  ;  and  many 
other  forms  of  chronic  derangement  of  health, 
neurotic,  anaemic,  rheumatic,  or  scrofulous. 

Innsbruck  (47°  18'  N.  lat),  the  capital  of  the 
Tirol,  possesses  many  attractions  as  a  winter  resort 
for  those  who  are  not  exactly  invalids  but  who  are 
lacking  in  tone  and  vigour,  or  who  need  to  take 
preventive  measures  against  morbid  tendencies  by 
seeking  in  winter  a  dryer,  clearer,  and  sunnier  climate 
than  our  own.  It  is  an  advantage  also  to  many  to 
be  able  to  get  these  benefits  in  a  bright,  cheerful 
university  town  surrounded  by  beautiful  mountain 
and  river  scenery,  and  with  those  social,  educational, 
and  artistic  resources  which  such  a  capital  affords  ; 
and  it  is  not  too  large,  as  it  has  only  about  30,000 
inhabitants,  while  it  is  only  thirty  hours  from  London. 
There  is  excellent  accommodation  for  visitors  in 
winter,  when  the  hotels  are  much  less  crowded  than 
in  summer.  Its  elevation  is  about  1,900  feet ;  owing 
to  its  protection  from  cold  north  winds,  and  its  clear, 
sunny  atmosphere,  it  has  a  warmer  winter  climate 
than  might  be  expected  from  its  situation  and  eleva- 
tion, its  mean  temperature  in  the  coldest  month 
(January)  being  24*9°  F.  Its  mean  humidity  in 
winter  is  76*2  per  cent.  The  weather  is  often 
changeable  and  unpleasant  in  October,  when  the 
winter  snowfall  takes  place,  but  from  November  to 
February  the  sky  is  usually  clear,  the  atmosphere 
still,  and  the  insolation  considerable.  In  short 
Innsbruck  has  most  of  the  advantages  of  the  high 
mountain  resorts  without  their  drawbacks. 


The  Grape  Cure. — Montreux,  Meran,  Arco,  as  well  as  other 
resorts,  are  on  account  of  the  suitable  quality  and  abundance 


664      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

of  the  grapes  grown  there,  associated  with  what  is  known  as 
the  "  grape  cure," 

The  nutritive  value  of  grapes  is  not  very  great,  but  they 
contain  much  sugar  and  salts  of  potash,  and  are,  to  many,  an 
agreeable  food,  while  they  also  possess  some  medicinal  quali- 
ties. Although  attended  with  aperient  effects,  usually  it  is 
essentially  a  dietetic  cure,  but  should  be  taken  with  modera- 
tion, as  the  excessive  quantities  at  one  time  consumed  were 
not  beneficial.  It  is  best  to  begin  with  small  quantities,  which 
may  be  gradually  increased.  About  three  pounds  a  day  is 
a  moderate  dose ;  two  pounds  is  enough  for  pulmonary 
patients.  As  to  the  cases  suitable  for  this  cure,  constipation 
is  often  advantageously  modified  by  three  or  four  pounds  of 
grapes  taken  in  the  twenty-four  hours.  But,  according  to 
Prof.  Lebert,  cases  of  obstinate  and  aggravated  constipation 
of  long  standing  often  resist  the  cure,  and  in  such  exceptional 
cases  he  has  given  up  to  five  or  six  pounds,  according  to  the 
eftect  and  tolerance  of  the  cure. 

Lebert  found  a  thoroughly  laxative  dose  of  grapes  (five 
or  six  pounds  a  day),  to  be  very  salutary  in  hasmorrhoidal 
affections  without  much  loss  of  blood,  also  in  cardiac  diseases 
when  not  much  advanced,  and  when  the  venous  circulation 
began  to  be  troubled,  giving  rise  to  pulmonary,  renal,  hepatic, 
and  intestinal  congestions  ;  and  further  that  the  calculous 
diathesis,  renal  and  hepatic,  was  sometimes  modified  very 
advantageously  by  grapes.  He  thought  the  cure  useful  also, 
combined  with  the  open  air  life,  for  those  who  are  neither  ill 
nor  well,  who  are  fatigued  by  a  too  exciting  and  somewhat 
intemperate  life,  or  who  lead  habitually  a  too  sedentary  and 
too  laborious  existence. 

This  cure  should  not  be  attempted  except  under  competent 
and  experienced  medical  supervision. 


CHAPTER     VIII. 
THE   WESTERN  RIVIERA. 

A  Study  of  its  Climate  and  a  Survey  of  its  Principal 
Resorts. 

THE  many  picturesque  towns  that  lie  scattered  along 
the  beautiful  Mediterranean  coast  of  France  and  Italy 
have  long  been  the  favourite  winter  resorts  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Northern  Europe.  Some  of  these 
have  enjoyed  a  reputation  as  winter  health  resorts 
for  a  very  long  period,  while  others  have  quite  re- 
cently grown  into  popularity  and  renown. 

Passing  from  west  to  east,  the  health  resorts  of 
the  Western  Riviera  may  be  said  to  begin  at  Hyeres, 
a  few  miles  from  the  important  arsenal  of  Toulon, 
and  to  end  at  Pegli,  a  few  miles  west  of  Genoa. 
Between  these,  its  western  and  eastern  limits,  we  have 
the  well-known  French  stations,  St.  Raphael,  Cannes, 
Antibes,  Nice,  Beaulieu,  and  Mentone,  the  princi- 
pality of  Monaco,  with  Monte  Carlo  ;  and  the  Italian 
resorts,  Bordighera,  Ospedaletti,  San  Remo,  and 
Alassio,  besides  certain  smaller  and  less  known  places 
on  the  coast  between  these. 

In  geographical  strictness,  Hyeres  is  not  included 
in  the  Western  Riviera,  the  Riviera  di  Ponente,  since 
the  mountains  of  the  Esterels,  to  the  west  of  Cannes 
and  many  miles  east  of  Hyeres,  form  its  western 
boundary  ;  but  as  a  health  resort  this  town  naturally 
falls  into  the  group  just  indicated,  with  which  it  has 
much  in  common. 

Before  considering  the  distinguishing  character- 
istics of  each  of  the  principal  health  resorts  of  this 
region,  it  will  be  convenient  to  discuss  briefly  the 
general  characters  of  the  climate  of  the  whole  district 
of  the  Western  Riviera.  The  Riviera  is  a  land  of 


666      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

sunshine  and  a  land  of  winds.  It  is  a  land  of  intense 
brilliant  sunshine,  and  of  cold  chilling  shade.  The 
very  intensity  of  its  sun-heat  is  to  some  extent  the 
cause  of  its  manifold  local  currents  of  air.  The  air  is 
scarcely  ever  still,  although,  of  course,  some  localities 
are  much  more  protected  from  prevailing  winds  than 
others.  The  climate  of  the  Riviera,  then,  has  con- 
spicuous merits  and  conspicuous  defects.  But  a  perfect 
climate  in  winter  is  to  be  found  nowhere,  neither  on 
the  Riviera  nor  elsewhere. 

We  have  pointed  out  in  previous  chapters  that  in 
exa  nining  the  climate  of  any  district  the  chief  points 
to  be  considered  are — i.  Its  temperature,  with  its 
variations.  2.  The  relative  proportion  of  sunshine 
and  cloud  ;  of  clear  skies  and  of  skies  that  are  over- 
cast. 3.  The  amount  of  rainfall  and  the  number  of 
rainy  days.  4.  The  average  humidity  of  the  air. 
5.  The  prevailing  winds,  and  the  amount  of  exposure 
to  or  protection  from  them  afforded  by  local  con- 
ditions. 

And  first  as  to  the  temperature  of  the  Riviera. 

The  several  health  resorts  of  the  Western  Riviera 
lie  between  43°  and  45°  N.  lat.,  while  London  lies 
at  51°  30'  ;  therefore  from  latitude  alone  the  tempera- 
ture would  be  higher,  and  the  intensity  of  the  sun's 
rays  greater  ;  hence  the  difference  between  sun  and 
shade  temperatures  is  considerable.  In  a  room 
looking  south  and  exposed  to  the  brilliant  sunshine 
it  is  summer  ;  in  a  room  in  the  same  house,  facing 
north  and  in  the  shade,  it  is  winter.  And  similarly, 
out  of  doors,  there  is  a  great  risk  of  chill  in  passing 
from  sun  to  shade.  It  behoves  all  visitors  to  the 
Riviera  constantly  to  bear,  in  mind  that  if  they  would 
benefit  by  the  great  heat  of  the  sun,  they  must  take 
care  to  protect  themselves  against  the  corresponding 
chill  of  the  shade. 

The  Riviera  in  winter  is  not  a  hot  climate,  as  some 
persons  seem  to  expect  it  should  be  ;  and,  indeed,  if 
it  were  altogether  a  hot  climate  it  would  be  a  far  less 
valuable  climate  than  it  is.  Still  it  is  a  climate  in 


THE    WESTERN   RIVIERA.  667 

which  the  inhabitants  of  Northern  Europe  may  in  the 
winter  find,  on  an  average,  much  more  warmth  than 
at  home.  The  mean  winter  and  spring  temperature 
of  the  Riviera  (between  October  and  May)  is  from  8° 
to  10°  F.  higher  than  that  of  England. 

But  it  is  not  to  its  latitude  alone  that  the  Western 
Riviera  owes  the  relative  mildness  of  its  winters,  for 
both  Genoa  and  Florence  are  within  the  same  latitude, 
and  they  do  not  possess  by  any  means  the  same  mild 
winter  climate.  It  is  also  to  the  protection  from 
northerly  winds  afforded  by  the  chain  of  Maritime 
Alps,  which  extends  along  nearly  the  whole  of  this 
coast,  and  at  a  sufficient  elevation  to  prevent  the  cold 
winds  that  blow  from  Northern  Europe,  and  over 
the  snowy  Alps  of  Switzerland  and  Savoy,  from 
reaching  the  resorts  lying  along  this  part  of  the 
northern  coast  of  the  Mediterranean.  Some  of  these 
resorts  are  better  and  more  completely  protected  than 
others,  from  northerly  blasts,  by  reason  of  the  relative 
nearness  to  them  of  this  mountain  wall,  and  by  the 
unbroken  nature  of  the  barrier  it  forms  ;  while  at 
other  parts  the  existence  of  gaps  in  the  chain,  or  its 
distance  from  the  coast,  diminishes  the  protection  it 
affords,  and  renders  some  of  these  localities  unsuited 
for  winter  resort.  Thus  many  of  the  places  along 
that  part  of  the  coast  which  extends  from  San  Remo 
to  Genoa,  owing  to  the  greater  remoteness  from  them 
of  the  higher  chain  of  Maritime  Alps,  and  the  com- 
paratively low  elevation  of  the  mountains  behind, 
are  much  more  accessible  to  northerly  winds  than 
the  more  western  towns,  and  much  less  suited  for 
the  reception  of  invalid  winter  visitors. 

Another  cause  of  the  mild  winter  temperature 
of  the  Riviera  is  its  southern  exposure  along  the 
shores  of  a  sea  the  water  of  which  is  unusually  warm. 
It  has  been  calculated  that  the  temperature  of  the 
Mediterranean  off  this  coast  is  20°  higher  than  that 
of  the  Atlantic  at  the  same  depth  and  in  the  same 
latitude  ;  and  that  the  temperature  of  the  surface  of 
the  sea  (off  the  coast  of  Cannes)  has  a  mean  excess 


668      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

of  about  12°  F.  over  the  minimum  temperature  of 
the  air,  and  a  mean  excess  of  9°  F.  over  that  of  the 
sea  on  our  own  southern  coast  (Falmouth).  Hence 
it  follows  that  the  atmosphere  on  this  coast  of  the 
Mediterranean  must  obtain  a  considerable  addition 
of  heat  during  winter  from  that  which  has  been 
stored  up  in  the  sea  during  summer,  and  which  is 
slowly  diffused  through  the  air  during  the  colder 
season. 

It  is  generally  known  that  there  is  a  great  fall  of 
temperature  on  the  Riviera  at  sunset,  and  that  owing 
to  this  fact  the  time  of  sunset  and  the  hour  or 
two  which  follow  it  are  particularly  dangerous  to 
invalids  and  other  sensitive  persons.  This  fall  of 
temperature  at  sunset  is  easily  accounted  for,  and 
is  always  encountered  whenever,  owing  to  the 
absence  of  aqueous  vapour  in  the  air  and  the  presence 
of  clear  cloudless  skies,  solar  radiation  is  very  powerful ; 
for  when  the  sun  is  withdrawn  the  whole  surface  of 
the  country  is  plunged  in  shade,  the  air  no  longer 
derives  any  heat  from  the  direct  solar  rays,  and  the 
temperature  of  the  whole  air  is  a  shade  temperature. 
But  this  is  not  the  only  cooling  agency  that  comes 
into  operation  at  sunset.  When  the  sky  is  free  from 
cloud  and  the  atmosphere  clear,  as  soon  as  the 
sun  sets,  the  heat,  which  has  been  absorbed  by  the 
surface  of  the  earth  during  sunshine,  is  rapidly  lost 
by  radiation  into  space,  the  air  in  contact  with  or 
near  the  ground  is  rapidly  cooled,  and  the  moisture  it 
contains  becomes  precipitated  in  the  form  of  dew, 
and  thus  the  lower  strata  of  the  air  become  damp  as 
well  as  cold  at  and  after  sunset.  When  the  sky  is 
overspread  with  clouds,  these  prevent  the  radiation 
of  heat  from  the  earth's  surface  into  space  and  reflect 
it  back  to  the  earth,  so  that  the  chilling  of  the  surface 
at  sunset  is  not  nearly  so  great  when  the  sky  is  cloudy 
as  when  it  is  clear  ;  it  is  therefore  especially  during 
clear  cloudless  weather  that  invalids  must  be  cautious 
of  exposing  themselves  to  the  fall  of  temperature  and 
deposit  of  dew  which  occur  at  sunset. 


THE    WESTERN    RIVIERA-.  669 

The  temperature  rises  again  two  or  three  hours 
after  sunset,  and  again  falls  to  the  minimum  of  the 
twenty-four  hours  towards  sunrise,  so  that  it  is  less 
dangerous  to  be  out  of  doors  three  or  four  hours  after 
sunset  than  at  the  time  of  sunset  itself 

In  the  second  place,  as  to  the  relative  proportion 
of  sunshine  and  cloud ;  the  excess  of  sunny  days 
during  the  winter  in  the  Riviera  over  that  of  our 
winter  is  remarkable.  If  we  compare  Nice  with 
London  we  find  that  during  the  six  winter  and  spring 
months,  i.e.  between  October  and  May,  there  are  on 
the  average  ninety-seven  clear  cloudless  days  at  Nice, 
and  only  twelve  in  London  !  We  are  justified,  then, 
in  saying  that  the  Riviera  is  a  land  of  sunshine. 

Next,  with  regard  to  rain.  It  may  be  said,  speak- 
ing generally,  that  it  is  a  land  of  heavy  rainfalls  and 
few  rainy  days.  But  much  more  rain  falls  at  the 
eastern  end  of  the  Riviera  di  Ponente,  i.e.  about 
Genoa,  than  at  the  western  end,  i.e.  around  Nice ; 
e.g.  the  mean  annual  rainfall  of  Genoa  being  1317 
millimetres,  that  at  Nice  is  811,  and  that  at  Hyeres 
only  746  ;  while  the  rainy  days  from  November  to 
April,  both  months  inclusive,  number  67  at  Genoa, 
43-5  at  Mentone,  36*2  at  Nice,  45-8  at  Cannes,  and 
37-5  at  Hyeres. 

Compared  with  England,  the  climate  of  the  Riviera 
is  undoubtedly  a  very  dry  one ;  for  a  few  days  in 
autumn  and  spring  there  are  torrents  of  rain,  so  that 
the  total  average  rainfall  may  nearly  equal  that  of 
the  west  coast  of  England  ;  but  the  number  of  fine 
days  is  immensely  greater,  both  in  summer  and 
winter,  than  in  almost  any  other  part  of  Europe. 

If  we  compare  the  rainfall  at  Nice  during  the  five 
winter  months,  between  October  and  April,  with  that 
of  London  and  that  of  Torquay  during  the  same 
months,  we  find  that  Nice  has  16-92  ins.,  London 
9-51  ins.,  and  Torquay  12-28  ins.,  so  that  nearly 
twice  as  much  rain  falls  at  Nice  during  the  winter 
as  in  London.  But  if  we  compare  the  number  of 
rainy  days  during  the  same  period,  then  we  have 


67o       CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC   RESORTS. 

at   Nice   only    30*5   rainy   days,   while   in    London 
there  are  76-5,  and  at  Torquay  98. 

It  is  rare  to  encounter  continuous  broken  weather 
on  the  Riviera,  still  it  does  occur  occasionally. 

As  a  rule  the  winter  rainfall  is  distributed  in  the 
following  manner  :  it  is  common  to  have  a  heavy  fall 
of  rain  in  October ;  as  many  as  13  inches  will  often 
fall  in  that  month.  The  next  greatest  rainfall  is 
in  November,  then  December.  Next  comes  March  ; 
and  January  and  February  have  the  lowest  rainfall. 
In  April  there  are  heavy  falls  of  rain  again,  as  in 
October. 

But  the  Riviera,  like  every  other  locality,  is  sub- 
ject to  great  variations  in  different  seasons,  and  in  the 
same  months  in  different  seasons,  e.g.  the  rainfall  in 
Mentone  has  been  known  to  be  as  little  as  0*27 
inches  in  the  November  of  one  year,  and  as  much  as 
io*i2  inches  in  the  same  month  in  another  winter. 

Taking  the  average  of  a  succession  of  winters,  the 
Riviera  is  a  very  dry  climate,  the  number  of  rainy 
and  cloudy  days  being  very  few  compared  with  the 
number  of  dry  and  clear  days  ;  but  it  has  exceptional 
seasons,  and  some  are  very  wet  and  disagreeable. 

In  the  next  place,  if  we  compare  the  records  of 
the  humidity  of  the  air  during  winter,  as  observed  in 
certain  stations  on  the  Riviera,  with  those  obtained 
from  similar  observations  at  certain  stations  at  home, 
we  get  decided  evidence  of  the  superior  dryness  of 
the  atmosphere  of  the  former.  Saturation  being 
represented  by  100,  we  get  the  relative  humidity  of 
the  Riviera  (Cannes  and  Mentone),  as  compared  with 
London  and  Falmouth,  represented  by  the  following 
figures  : 

Cannes  and  Mentone  London  Falmouth 

72-4  88  84-4 

It  is  not  an  easy  task  to  describe  the  winds  of 
the  Riviera.  They  are  legion.  The  mistral,  the 
sirocco,  the  Greco,  the  tramontana,  the  sea  wind, 
the  land  wind,  etc.  Indeed,  certain  exposed  locali- 


WINDS    OF    THE    WESTERN    RIVIERA.      671 

ties  on  the  Riviera  are  rendered  wholly  uninhabitable 
on  account  of  these  tormenting  winds  ;  and  the 
relative  merits  of  its  various  health  resorts  chiefly 
depend  on  the  greater  or  less  protection  afforded 
them  against  the  prevailing  winds  by  the  surrounding 
mountains. 

The  mistral  is  a  wind  which  blows  from  the  west 
and  north-west.  It  is  a  very  dry  wind,  and  a  wind 
which  generally  brings  fine  clear  weather,  although  it 
is  always  attended  with  a  falling  barometer.  It  is  a 
wind  which  blows  with  great  fury,  and  owing  to  its  dry- 
ness,  raises  clouds  of  dust.  The  air  loses  its  humidity 
and  becomes  dry,  cold,  penetrating,  and  irritating. 
The  dryness  of  this  wind  is  accounted  for  by  its 
losing  all  its  moisture  as  it  sweeps  over  Central 
France.  It  is  especially  the  torment  of  the  more 
westerly  stations,  such  as  Hyeres  and  Nice,  but  it  is 
also  felt  at  times,  usually  with  diminished  violence,  as 
far  east  as  San  Remo. 

It  blows  more  frequently  in  March  than  in  any 
other  of  the  winter  and  spring  months. 

The  sirocco  is  a  south-east  wind,  a  hot  African 
wind,  which  only  reaches  the  northern  shores 
of  the  Mediterranean  after  having  crossed  this  sea 
and  so  become  laden  with  moisture ;  hence  it  is  a 
wet  wind — warm,  wet,  and  enervating.  It  brings  to 
this  coast  the  heaviest  and  most  prolonged  rains. 
But  these  rains  do  not  usually  appear  until  after  it 
has  blown  violently  for  a  day  or  two.  The  spring 
and  summer  are  its  favourite  seasons,  but  it  may 
occur  for  two  or  three  days  in  any  of  the  winter 
months. 

The  east  wind,  which  frequently  blows  in  spring 
and  summer,  is  not  very  often  encountered  in  winter, 
and  in  this  region  it  is  not  the  formidable  and  dreaded 
wind  that  it  is  with  us.  It  is  frequently  followed  by 
rain,  and  is  most  common  from  March  to  May,  when 
it  occasionally  blows  with  great  force. 

A  very  disagreeable  wind  is  the  north-east  wind, 
or  Greco.  It  is  bitingly  cold,  and  not  unfrequently 


672       CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC  RESORTS. 

brings  with  it  sleet,  hail,  and  even  snow.  Fortu- 
nately it  does  not  blow  often.  It  is  more  felt  and  is 
more  frequent  and  severe  along  the  eastern  portions 
of  the  Riviera  di  Ponente  than  along  its  western  parts, 
and  Genoa  owes  much  of  the  bitterness  of  its  climate 
to  its  exposure  to  this  wind. 

The  Tramontana  is  the  name  given  to  the  north 
wind.  Most  of  the  health  resorts  along  this  coast  are 
sheltered  from  it  by  the  chain  of  mountains  which 
rises  behind  them,  and  forms  a  more  or  less  complete 
protection  from  winds  coming  from  this  quarter. 
The  northerly  winds  are  either  completely  arrested 
by  this  mountain  barrier,  or  they  blow  over  the  tops 
of  the  mountains,  and  are  only  felt  at  some  distance 
from  the  coast.  But  the  barrier  is  in  some  localities 
not  so  perfect  and  effective  against  these  winds  as  at 
others.  Where  long  valleys  run  down  in  a  direction 
due  north  and  south,  as  at  Ventimiglia,  the  north  wind 
may  have  free  access,  and,  owing  to  the  lower  eleva- 
tion of  the  near  hills,  the  district  east  of  San  Remo 
is  less  protected  from  northerly  winds  than  the 
western  portion  of  the  same  coast.  Nice,  also,  as  we 
shall  see,  is  but  imperfectly  protected  from  these 
northerly  winds. 

Occasionally  a  strong  wind  is  felt  from  the  south- 
west. A  wind  also  often  blows  with  considerable 
violence  from  the  west ;  this  and  the  south-west 
wind  are  regarded  by  some  as  really  "  deflected 
mistrals." 

It  is  well  known  that  on  sea  coasts  generally,  in 
sunny  weather,  there  is  a  breeze  which  blows  from 
the  sea  on  to  the  land  during  the  day,  while  at  night 
the  reverse  takes  place,  and  a  breeze  is  found  blowing 
off  the  land  on  to  the  sea.  We  have  explained  this 
fully  in  former  chapters.  This  wind  from  the  sea  is 
very  much  felt  all  along  the  Riviera,  even  as  far  as 
a  mile  from  the  sea,  especially  on  sunny  days.  It 
begins  to  blow  about  1 1  a.m.,  and  continues  till  3  or 
3.30  p.m. 

The  foregoing  is  a  brief  account  of  the  principal 


HYERES.  673 

winds  which  the  visitor  to  the  Riviera  must  expect  to 
encounter  from  time  to  time.  The  greatest  number 
of  calm  days  occur  in  January  and  December,  and 
the  windiest  months  are  March,  April,  May,  and 
October.  The  strongest,  as  well  as  most  frequent, 
winds  are  from  the  east  and  the  south-west. 

Having  thus  briefly  considered,  from  a  general 
point  of  view,  some  of  the  chief  characters  of  the 
climate  of  the  Western  Riviera,  wfc  now  propose  to 
pass  in  brief  review  the  principal  resorts  on  this 
coast. 

Hyeres  is  one  of  the  oldest  health  resorts  on  the 
French  Riviera.  It  is  not  actually  on  the  coast  as  are 
the  other  health  resorts  of  this  region,  but  it  is  about 
three  miles  distant  from  the  sea,  a  plain  of  this  extent 
stretching  between  the  town  and  the  coast.  So  that 
the  exciting  influence  of  the  sea  is  not  experienced  at 
Hyeres,  and  this  is  considered  to  be  one  of  its  ad- 
vantages. It  feels  the  sea  breeze  less  than  other 
resorts  on  the  coast,  not  only  because  of  its  distance 
from  the  sea,  but  also  because  of  the  protection  from 
the  sea  winds  afforded  by  the  islands  off  the  coast— 
the  lies  d'Hyeres. 

The  town  itself  is  built  along  the  base  of  a  steep 
rocky  hill,  having  a  southern  or  south-eastern  aspect. 
This  hill  forms  part  of  a  small  and  picturesque  chain 
of  mountains  which  bounds  the  valley  of  Hyeres  to 
the  north  ;  mountains  to  the  east  and  north-east 
close  in  the  plain  of  Hyeres  in  that  direction,  and 
project  as  a  promontory  into  the  sea,  protecting  it 
quite  sufficiently  from  the  north-east,  but  less  com- 
pletely from  the  east  winds.  On  the  opposite  side  of 
the  valley,  that  is  to  the  west  and  south-west,  a 
series  of  hills  rises  and  forms  a  kind  of  screen  between 
Hyeres  and  the  roadstead  of  Toulon.  The  situation 
of  the  town  is  admirably  chosen  for  gaining  all  the 
advantages  possible  from  the  heat  of  the  sun. 

Owing  especially  to  its  protection  from  sea 
breezes,  and  also  from  the  north  and  north-east 
w 


674      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

winds,  and  to  the  infrequency  or  mildness  of  the 
east  wind,  at  this  distance  from  the  coast,  the  atmo- 
sphere at  Hyeres  is  sometimes  exceedingly  still  and 
calm,  unlike  the  other  health  resorts  on  this  coast, 
where  perfect  stillness  of  atmosphere  is  rare.  And  the 
air  of  Hyeres  is  neither  so  dry  nor  so  keen  as  at 
Cannes  or  at  Nice,  and  its  climate  is  therefore  less 
exciting  and  more  soothing.  It  has  one  serious  draw- 
back. The  valley  is  completely  exposed,  in  its  whole 
length,  to  the  mistral,  which  from  February  on- 
wards blows  with  great  force  and  frequency. 

The  temperature  records  show  that  the  climate, 
apart  from  the  winds,  is  a  very  mild  one.  The  tem- 
perature is  about  ten  degrees  warmer  than  in  England. 
It  seems  also  to  be  more  equable  than  at  some  of  the 
other  stations.  In  the  depth  of  winter  the  thermo- 
meter rarely  falls  below  44°  or  45°  F.  The  mean 
winter  temperature  is  50*6°  F.  There  would  seem  to 
be  a  great  difference  between  the  valley  and  the 
town.  "  The  town  is  warm,  but  the  valley,  at  four 
hundred  yards  from  the  town,  is  cold."  The  relative 
humidity  of  the  air  in  winter  is  73  per  cent. 

As  to  the  rainfall  at  Hyeres,  it  would  seem  to 
be  from  28  to  30  inches  in  the  year,  and  the 
mean  for  the  winter  six  months  is  16*9  inches,  with 
an  average  of  41  rainy  days.  The  winter  and 
spring  months  are  probably  somewhat  dryer  than  at 
other  health  resorts  on  the  Riviera.  The  average 
amount  of  sunshine  in  winter  is  large — 136  days  of 
bright  sunshine  in  the  winter  six  months.  The  water 
supply  is  good,  the  sanitary  conditions  of  the  town  are 
satisfactory.  Invalids  and  visitors  live  for  the  most  part 
in  hotels,  of  which  there  are  several  good  ones,  the 
cost  of  living  at  them  being  somewhat  less  than  at  the 
best  hotels  at  Cannes  or  Nice.  There  are  many 
charming  and  picturesque  promenades,  as  well  as 
longer  excursions,  and  in  this  respect  Hyeres  is  much 
better  off  than  most  other  resorts  on  the  Riviera.  It 
is  suited  to  persons  of  nervous  temperament  who  dis- 
like the  seaside,  and  who  find  resorts  like  Mentone 


HYERES;     SAINT     RAPHAEL.  675 

and  Cannes  too  exciting.  It  is  good  for  nervous,  feeble 
children,  and  for  some  forms  of  gout  and  rheumatism. 
It  is  not  bracing  and  stimulating  enough  for  scrofulous 
cases.  Scrofulous  children  do  better  on  the  sea-shore, 
and  there  is  a  sanatorium  for  such  children  (150  beds) 
on  the  peninsula  of  Giens,  a  few  miles  to  the  south  of 
Hyeres. 

Other  cases  that  do  well  in  the  winter  at  Hyeres 
are  convalescents  from  acute  disease — anemic,  debili- 
tated, and  neurasthenic  cases — the  early  stages  of 
gouty,  renal,  and  arterial  changes  ;  cases  of  cardiac 
weakness,  of  chronic  catarrh  of  the  respiratory 
passages,  and  cases  of  early  or  of  chronic  torpid 
phthisis.  The  climate  is  said  to  be  too  irritating  for 
laryngeal  phthisis,  and  for  the  highly  neurotic. 

Costebelle,  two  miles  south  of  Hyeres  and  only  a 
mile  from  the  sea,  is  by  many  much  preferred  to 
Hyeres,  especially  by  English  visitors.  It  is  built  on 
the  southern  slope  of  a  pine-covered  hill  (Mont  des 
Oiseaux),  and  is  more  protected  than  Hyeres  from 
the  mistral ;  it  is  also  more  wooded,  less  dusty,  being 
away  from  high  roads,  but  not  quite  so  dry.  It  is 
thought  to  be  more  tonic  and  bracing  than  Hyeres, 
being  more  open  to  the  sea.  Two  sanatoria  are  in 
course  of  construction  in  this  district  for  patients  of 
the  middle  class— one,  the  Sanatorium  du  Mont  des 
Oiseaux  for  adults  (150  beds),  and  another,  de  San 
Salvador  (150  beds),  for  children.  Costebelle  con- 
sists mainly  of  three  excellent  hotels,  all  under  the 
management  of  M.  Peyron.  There  are  golf  links  at 
Hyeres.  The  branch  line  from  Toulon  to  Hyeres 
leaves  the  main  line  at  La  Pauline. 

Saint  Raphael  and  Valescure  are  at  the  eastern 
end  of  the  Bay  of  Frejus,  separated  from  Cannes  and 
the  Bay  of  Napoule  by  the  chain  of  the  Esterels.  It 
is  in  rather  a  windy  situation,  and  the  ground 
between  the  coast  and  Valescure  is  low  lying  and 
damp  in  parts.  Valescure  itself  is  but  little  raised 
above  the  sea  level,  and  its  horizon  is  very  limited ; 
it  has  also  the  drawback  of  being  greatly  exposed  to 


676      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

the  mistral.  There  are  no  doubt  charming  excursions 
to  be  made  into  the  valleys  of  the  Esterels,  and  many 
prefer  the  quiet,  almost  rustic  life  of  this  retreat  to 
residence  in  a  more  fashionable  resort ;  but  it  cannot 
be  said  to  offer  any  great  attraction  to  sensitive 
invalids. 

Cannes. — From  Napoule,  which  is  situated  at  the 
eastern  base  of  the  Esterels,  and  gives  its  name  to 
the  bay,  we  get  a  magnificent  view  of  Cannes  as 
it  lies  facing  south,  bathed  in  sunshine,  stretching 
along  the  eastern  end  of  the  bay,  its  countless  villas 
spreading  far  and  wide  on  the  undulating  rising 
ground  which  lies  between  the  sea  and  the  lower 
hills,  with  the  range  of  snowy  Alps  for  the  distant 
background.  Cannes  is  rather  the  name  of  an 
extensive  district  than  of  a  small  coast  town. 
Unlike  any  of  the  other  health  resorts  on  the 
Riviera,  it  is  scattered  over  a  wide  tract  of  land, 
so  that  its  eastern  and  western  limits  are  some 
miles  apart ;  and  its  attractions  and  beauties  are  not 
limited  to  and  concentrated  on  one  particular  spot, 
but  are  varied  and  widespread.  There  is  no  sense 
of  restraint  and  imprisonment  in  a  place  like  Cannes, 
where  the  landscape  is  wide,  open,  and  free. 
Corresponding  with  this  great  range  and  variety 
of  territory  there  is  a  corresponding  range  of 
climate. 

With  regard  to  the  climate  of  Cannes,  in  the  first 
place,  if  we  consider  the  whole  district,  there  can  be 
no  doubt  that  it  is  less  protected  from  winds  than 
some  of  the  other  resorts  on  the  Western  Riviera, 
and  that  Cannes,  on  the  whole,  must  be  considered  a 
rather  windy  place. 

The  protecting  chain  of  high  mountains  to  the 
north  is  removed  to  some  considerable  distance 
from  the  coast,  and  scarcely  offers  so  complete  a 
screen  from  northerly  currents  as  it  does  when 
close  to  the  town,  as  at  Mentone.  The  Esterels 
present  a  considerable  barrier  to  the  approach  of  the 
mistral ;  but  the  protection  from  this  wind  is  not 


CANNES.  677 

complete  ;  there  is  more  or  less  of  a  gap  between 
the  hills  to  the  west  and  those  to  the  north-west, 
through  which  this  wind  is  able  at  times  to  reach 
Cannes.  The  mountains  to  the  east  and  to  the  north- 
east are  not  sufficiently  high  to  afford  a  complete 
protection  from  winds  coming  from  those  quarters. 
The  prevailing  winds  at  Cannes  come  from  the 
east,  varying  from  north-east  to  south-east.  A  wind 
from  the  north  is  rare,  and  always  feeble.  Still  more 
rare  in  winter  is  a  wind  blowing  directly  from  the 
south. 

The  neighbourhood  of  Cannet,  a  village  about  two 
miles  from  the  sea,  presents  many  most  favourable 
and  protected  sites  for  dwellings  and  for  promenades  ; 
and  delicate  persons,  especially  those  who  suffer  from 
chest  affections,  or  those  of  sensitive,  nervous  tem- 
perament, who  find  the  neighbourhood  of  the  sea  too 
exciting,  are  strongly  recommended  to  settle  in  the 
valley  of  Cannet. 

On  an  average  the  mean  winter  temperature  at 
Cannes  is  about  8°  higher  than  that  of  London  ;  and, 
compared  with  other  stations  on  this  coast,  Cannes 
is  not  so  warm  as  Mentone  or  Sari  Remo,  while  it  is 
somewhat  warmer  than  Nice. 

There  is  a  considerable  rainfall  at  Cannes, 
about  32  inches  during  the  winter-time  (November 
to  April),  and  about  58  rainy  days.  As  else- 
where on  the  Riviera,  there  are  heavy  falls  of  rain, 
lasting  often  several  days,  in  November  and  March  ; 
in  the  former  month  the  rains  have  been  known  to 
last  for  three  weeks  !  The  winds  which  bring  these 
rains  are  usually  warm  winds,  coming  from  the  south- 
east and  the  south-west.  Between  these  periods  rain 
is  rare,  and  lasts  but  a  few  hours.  Snow  appears 
about  once  every  two  or  three  years,  and  never  lies 
on  the  ground  more  than  a  few  hours.  A  fog  is  a 
still  greater  rarity. 

Occasionally  a  very  wet  or  a  very  cold  season  is 
encountered. 

The   following  reference  to   one    of   the    worst 


678      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS; 

winters  at  Cannes  may  afford  some  idea  of  what  a 
bad  season  there  is  like  : — 

"  We  have  had  dreadful  weather.  On  the  8th  we  woke  up 
to  find  the  place  in  deep  snow,  from  a  foot  and  a-half  to  two 
feet,  down  to  the  water's  edge.  Before  this  had  time  to  melt, 
more  fell,  with  a  hard  frost,  the  thermometer  sometimes  at 
23°  F.  The  evergreens  were  broken  down  by  weight  of  the 
snow.  Lemon  and  orange  trees  are  killed  by  the  frost ;  even 
the  olive  trees  have  been  frozen.  The  snow  lay  on  the  ground 
till  the  i  yth,  when  a  heavy  rain,  following  a  hail-storm,  made 
it  disappear." 

The  country  around  Cannes  is  exceedingly 
beautiful,  and  in  the  number,  variety,  and  attractive- 
ness of  the  possible  drives  and  excursions  into  the 
surrounding  neighbourhood,  it  possesses  eminent  ad- 
vantages. 

One  great  drawback  to  the  pedestrian,  especially 
in  the  central  part  of  Cannes,  is  the  dustiness  of  the 
roads,  and  the  absence  of  cross-roads  by  which  to 
pass  from  one  district  to  another. 

Cannes  is  provided  with  many  excellent  but  ex- 
pensive hotels,  and  numerous  elegant  villas.  There 
are  plenty  of  good  shops  where  all  the  necessaries 
and  even  the  luxuries  of  life  may  be  procured. 

In  considering  what  cases  are  best  suited  for  this 
climate,  it  must  be  remembered  that  Cannes  is 
a  bracing  place,  that  its  air  is  tonic  and  stimulating, 
and  to  some  nervous  and  sensitive  organisations  excit- 
ing and  irritating.  But  many  who  need  a  calmer  and 
softer  climate  during  the  winter  months  are  benefited 
by  the  change  to  the  more  tonic  air  of  Cannes  in  the 
spring — the  end  of  March  and  the  beginning  of  April. 
-It  must  be  borne  in  mind  also  that  at  Cannes  you  can 
avail  yourself  of  two  somewhat  different  climates, 
according  as  you  choose  a  residence  in  the  neighbour- 
hood of  the  sea-shore,  or  inland — in  the  valley  of 
Cannet  for  example. 

All  invalids,  except  those  who  suffer  from  scro- 
fulous or  lymphatic  conditions,  are  advised  to  keep 
away  from  the  shore.  The  extreme  heat  of  the 


CANNES.  679 

Boulevard  de  la  Croisette,  the  fierce  sunshine, 
the  sea  air,  the  wind,  excite  but  do  not  fortify, 
and  induce  a  feverish  condition  in  a  certain  class 
of  invalids. 

Speaking  very  generally,  it  may  be  said  that  all 
scrofulous  affections,  especially  in  children,  as  well 
as  all  the  milder  forms  of  glandular  affection  and 
cases  of  retarded  development,  derive  very  great 
benefit  from  the  climate  of  Cannes.  These  are  cases 
in  which  the  forces  of  growth,  repair,  and  nutrition 
require  flogging  into  activity,  and  the  stimulating 
climate  of  the  sea-shore,  the  air,  the  brilliant  sun- 
shine, the  restless  winds,  are  all  needed  to  rouse  the 
sluggish  temperament  into  the  vigour  of  health. 

Nearly  all  cases  of  anaemia  improve  greatly  at 
Cannes,  especially  if  they  lead  a  prudent  and  careful 
life,  and  take  as  much  out-of-door  exercise  as  pos- 
sible ;  even  cases  of  cerebral  anaemia  in  the  aged 
mend  rapidly ;  these  persons,  however,  must  reside 
inland,  away  from  the  sea,  and  avoid  too  much 
exposure  to  direct  sunshine.  The  same  remark 
applies  to  cases  of  slow  convalescence  from  acute 
disease.  Of  cases  of  chest  disease,  those  of  simple 
chronic  bronchial  catarrh  do  well  by  the  sea-shore. 
Asthmatics,  on  the  contrary,  should  avoid  the  sea, 
and  live  as  far  inland  as  possible.  Cases  of  em- 
physema, of  chronic  pleurisies,  and  of  chronic 
laryngitis  also  improve  there.  Cases  of  chronic  con- 
sumption, under  certain  conditions,  do  exceedingly 
well  at  Cannes  ;  and  even  in  very  advanced  stages 
its  climate  will  often  help  to  prolong  life  for  many 
years.  But  a  number  of  minute  details  have  to  be 
carefully  attended  to  in  these  cases,  which  it  would  be 
out  of  place  to  enumerate  here  ;  it  is  only  necessary 
to  say  they  must  avoid  the  sea-shore.  Certain  forms 
of  chronic  gout  and  rheumatism,  and  of  Bright's 
disease,  are  benefited  by  wintering  at  Cannes. 

Hysterical  and  nervous  maladies,  and  neuralgias, 
associated  with  general  nervous  irritability,  should 
avoid  Cannes,  where  their  sufferings  are  often 


68o      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

aggravated  by  the  too  exciting  and  irritating  effects 
of  the  climate. 

Grasse,  which  it  will  be  convenient. to  notice  in 
this  place,  is  situated  about  nine  miles  from  Cannes, 
nearer  the  mountains,  on  the  southern  slope  of  one  of 
which  it  is  built,  at  an  elevation  of  about  1,000  feet 
above  the  sea.  It  possesses  a  large  and  well- 
appointed  hotel,  the  Grand.  The  climate  of  Grasse 
differs  somewhat  from  that  of  the  towns  on  the 
coast.  Its  mean  temperature  is  less  than  that  of 
Cannes,  owing  to  its  elevation,  and  to  its  comparative 
nearness  to  the  snow-covered  Alps ;  but  it  has 
greater  protection  from  cold  winds,  and  its  southern 
aspect  ensures  it  abundance  of  sunshine,  so  that 
many  winter  visitors  are  attracted  to  it.  Its  tempera- 
ture is  said  also  to  be  more  equable  than  that  of 
Cannes.  The  richness  of  its  vegetation  testifies 
sufficiently  to  the  mildness  of  the  climate.  The 
town  is  surrounded  by  immense  gardens  of  odorous 
plants,  the  jasmine,  rose,  violet,  orange-flower,  jon- 
quil, etc.  etc.  ;  the  fabrication  of  perfumery  being 
its  chief  industry.  Its  mountain  air,  and  its  distance 
from  the  sea,  render  it  popular  with  those  invalids 
who  find  the  sea-shore  unsuited  to  them,  especially 
those  who  suffer  from  neuralgia,  asthma,  or  rheu- 
matism when  on  the  coast.  It  also  serves  as  a  good 
transition  station  in  the  spring  when  the  resorts  on 
the  coast  become  too  hot.  It  is  reached  from  Cannes 
by  rail  in  three-quarters  of  an  hour.  It  is  connected 
also  by  rail  with  Nice. 

The  railway  going  east  from  Cannes  first  skirts 
the  Golfe  Jouan,  the  fine  bay  which  is  bounded  on 
the  west  by  the  Cap  de  la  Croisette  and  the  lies  des 
Lerins,  and  on  the  east  by  the  peninsula  formed  by 
the  Cap  d'Antibes,  which  stretches  far  out-  into  the 
sea,  and  forms  the  western  limit  of  the  wide  bay  at 
the  eastern  end  of  which  lies  the  town  of  Nice. 

Antibes  has  a  growing  popularity  amongst  winter 
visitors  to  this  coast,  and  many  who  have  passed  a 
winter  season  there  regard  it  with  great  partiality. 


NICE.  68 1 

Living  there  is  somewhat  cheaper  than  at  Nice  or 
Cannes,  but  its  climate,  though  an  agreeable  one,  is 
not  well  suited  to  delicate  invalids,  as  it  has  very 
little  protection  from  winds. 

After  passing  Antibes,  the  line  running  nearly 
due  north  along  the  western  shore  of  the  Baie  des 
Anges,  the  traveller  finds  opened  out  to  him  a  very 
grand  and  extensive  view  of  the  Mediterranean,  and 
of  the  Riviera  coast  as  far  east  as  Bordighera,  while 
to  the  north  he  obtains  a  fine  view  of  the  snowy  Alps 
behind  Nice.  After  crossing  the  river  Var  the  train 
soon  reaches  Nice,  which  is  twenty  miles  east  of 
Cannes. 

Nice  is  resorted  to  as  much  for  pleasure  as  for 
health  ;  it  is  a  bright  and  lively  town  of  100,000  in- 
habitants, and  there  is  much  gaiety  there  during  the 
winter  months.  Its  winter  climate  partakes  of  the 
defects  as  well  as  of  the  advantages  of  the  climate  of 
the  Riviera  generally;  it  has  an  abundance  of  sunshine 
in  winter,  consistently  clear,  blue,  cloudless  skies,  and 
remarkably  dry,  bracing  air,  often  a  little  too  exciting 
for  many  invalids.  There  are  fewer  rainy  days  than 
at  some  of  the  other  resorts  on  this  coast,  but  there 
are  occasional  heavy  downpours,  more  especially 
in  the  autumn  and  spring,  which  are  the  rainy 
seasons.  The  not  infrequent  keenness  of  the  winds 
at  Nice  is  well  known,  and  in  some  seasons  the  wind 
and  dust  are  very  trying,  more  particularly  along  the 
sea  front.  As  a  set-off  against  the  disadvantages  of 
its  incomplete  protection  from  prevailing  winds  we 
must  place  the  advantages,  social  and  educational,  of 
a  large  city  and  the  undoubted  beauty  of  its  position 
and  its  surroundings,  and  especially  the  accessibility 
of  its  fashionable  suburb  Cimiez,  which  enjoys  much 
greater  shelter  and  protection  from  the  mountains  to 
the  north  of  the  town.  This  suburb  is  now  largely 
resorted  to,  and  it  has  some  of  the  best  and  most 
attractive  hotels  in  Nice,  besides  many  beautiful  villa 
residences.  Nice  itself  is  very  imperfectly  screened 
by  surrounding  mountains  from  the  north  and  north- 
w  * 


632      CLIMATE  AND   CLIMATIC    BESOITTS, 

easterly  winds,  nor  has  it  -any  shelter  'or  protection 
to  the  west 

The  meteorology  -of  Nice  has  'been  OTdtilly 
studied,  Its  mean  annual  temperature  is  60-3°  F., 
nearly  the  same  as  that  of  Pisa  and  Rome.  The 
sea  temperature  at  Nice  varies  between  53°  and 
61°  F.  The  mean  winter  temperature  is  48°  F.,  that 
of  January,  the  coldest  month,  47*1°.  Falls  of  the 
barometer  are  almost  always  caused  by  the  dry 
north-west  wind,  and  rains  "  only  cause  the  mercury 
to  sink  gradually  and  almost  imperceptibly."  The 
relative  humidity  at  Nice  is  small,  the  annual  mean 
at  2  p.m.  being  59-6.  The  mean  proportion  of  sunny, 
cloudy,  and  rainy  days  in  winter  (181  days)  is  88 
days  of  sunshine,  60  days  of  partial  sunshine,  33 
days  of  cloud  all  day,  and  36  rainy  days.  The 
mean  annual  rainfall  is  32*43  inches,  and  19*45  for 
the  six  winter  months  (November  to  April).  Most 
rain  falls,  as  elsewhere  on  the  Riviera,  in  October 
and  April  ;  and  the  winds  that  bring  rain  are, 
according  to  some  observers,  the  east,  the  south- 
west, and  the  north-east,  while  others  maintain  that 
the  heaviest  and  longest  rains  come  from  the  south- 
east. It  has  been  calculated  that  for  the  whole 
year  there  are  83-4  days  of  strong  wind,  258*8  of 
gentle  wind,  22*8  of  complete  calm.  March,  April, 
and  May  are  the  windiest  months.  The  east  wind 
is  the  most  common  of  the  stormy  winds,  and 
blows  45  days  in  the  year.  The  south-west  wind 
is  also  a  violent  wind,  especially  at  the  time  of 
the  autumn  equinoctial  rains.  The  north-east  wind, 
sometimes  brings  hailstorms  and  snow.  The  mistral 
blows  (from  north-west  or  west)  chiefly  in  February 
and  March,  and  is  accompanied  with  clouds  of 
dust.  The  magnificent  Promenade  des  Anglais,  one 
of  the  finest  promenades  in  Europe,  running  along 
the  sea-shore,  is  especially  exposed  to  the  mistral,  as 
is  also  the  adjacent  quarter  of  the  town  ;  more 
protected  from  this  and  other  winds  is  the  Carabacel 
quarter,  situated  about  a  mile  inland  from  the 


NICE;  BEAULIEU.  683 

shore,  and  therefore^  more  under  the  protection  of 
the  northern  hills.  'Still  further  north,  about  two 
miles  from  the  sea,  is  the  suburb  of  Cimiez,  which 
has  a  much  better  and  less  exciting  climate  than 
Nice  itself,  and  many  invalids  with  chest  complaints 
do  well  there,  especially  those  with  chronic  bron- 
chitis and  asthma.  Cimiez  is  much  more  sheltered 
from  the  north  and  other  winds  owing  to  its  getting 
under  the  shelter  of  the  high  mountains  to  the 
north.  It  of  course  escapes  the  exciting  sea  winds 
and  the  stimulating  saline  emanations  on  the  shore, 
and  with  its  complete  southern  exposure  gets  all  the 
advantage  possible  from  the  sunshine,  without  the 
reflection  and  glare  from  the  sea. 

The  reflection  of  the  sun's  rays  from  the  white 
soil  contributes  also  to  raise  the  temperature  of 
the  air.  Cimiez  is  connected  with  all  parts  of 
Nice  by  an  excellent  service  of  electric  trams,  and 
has  grown  of  late  years  immensely  in  popularity. 
It  is  undoubtedly  a  very  attractive  resort. 

The  environs  of  Nice  are  very  beautiful,  especially 
the  drive  eastward,  to  the  Observatory  and  the 
Corniche  road,  and  on  to  Beaulieu.  The  climate  of 
Nice  is  useful  in  many  cases — it  is  beneficial  to  feeble, 
anaemic,  or  scrofulous  children,  whose  growth  and 
nutrition  require  stimulating.  It  is  a  good  resort  for 
cases  of  senile  debility  with  a  tendency  to  catarrhal 
attacks  ;  for  cases  of  over-work,  or  chronic  dyspepsia, 
or  those  with  torpid  livers,  and  tendency  to  mental  de- 
pression ;  but  it  is  too  exciting  for  irritably  nervous, 
sleepless  cases.  Cases  of  anaemia  in  young  people 
requiring  abundance  of  air  and  sunshine,  in  bright  and 
stimulating  surroundings,  do  well  there.  Cases  of 
chronic  catarrh  of  the  respiratory  passages,  and  cases 
of  asthma  often  gain  very  great  benefit  by  residing 
at  Cimiez.  It  is  suitable  also  to  some  forms  of  cardiac 
and  renal  disease,  and  to  cases  of  chronic  muscular 
rheumatism. 

Beaulieu,  only  four  miles  from  Nice  and  connected 
with  it  by  electric  tram  as  well  as  by  railway,  is 


684       CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

one  of  the  best  protected  and  warmest  resorts  on  the 
Riviera,  and  has  undergone  rapid  development  of  late 
years  in  the  provision  of  hotel  and  villa  accommoda- 
tion. Being  so  near  Nice  and  within  six  miles  of 
Monte  Carlo,  and  on  the  high  road  between  them,  it 
has  become  popular  for  its  beauty  and  accessibility, 
as  well  as  a  resort  for  invalids  on  account  of 
its  climatic  advantages.  These  latter  advantages  have 
gained  for  it  the  title  of  "La  Petite  Afrique,"  for 
owing  to  its  protection  by  high  mountains  on  the 
north,  north-east,  and  to  some  extent  on  the  north- 
west, and  to  the  reflection  of  the  powerful  rays  of  the 
sun  by  the  gray  rocks  around  the  small  area  on  which 
it  stands,  between  the  sea  and  the  high  rocks,  it  is  so 
warm  and  sheltered  that  lemon,  orange,  and  olive 
trees  and  many  flowers  flourish  in  great  luxuriance. 
Many  villas  (including  that  of  the  Marquis  of  Salisbury) 
have  been  built  on  the  surrounding  heights,  and  some 
on  the  peninsula  of  St.  Jean  and  Cap  Ferrat,  which, 
stretching  out  into  the  sea  between  Villefranche  and 
Beaulieu,  affords  most  delightful  promenades  on 
nearly  level  ground. 

The  mean  winter  temperature  at  Beaulieu  is 
stated  to  be  51 '8°  F.,  the  minima  are  relatively 
high,  and  the  difference  between  night  and  day 
temperature  is  comparatively  small.  The  air  is  fairly 
dry,  the  relative  humidity  varying  between  60  and 
70.  Fog  is  practically  unknown.  The  mistral  is 
rarely  felt,  and  then  its  severity  is  much  modified. 
The  prevailing  wind  is  from  the  south-east.  Beaulieu 
is  a  suitable  resort  for  all  those  who  require  Lest  in  a 
pure,  dry,  tonic  air,  with  abundance  of  sunshine,  and 
a  fairly  constant  and  mild  temperature — for  aged 
persons  and  delicate  children  ;  for  those  subject  to 
chronic  catarrhal  affections  of  the  respiratory  passages  ; 
as  a  prophylactic  in  cases  predisposed  to  pulmonary 
tuberculosis,  or  in  the  pyretic  forms  of  that  disease  in 
the  early  stage  (patients  in  more  or  less  advanced 
stages  are  objected  to). 

Some  cases  of  bronchial  asthma  (not  the  nervous 


MEN  TONE.  685 

forms),  cases  of  neurasthenia  from  over-work, 
with  nervous  and  vascular  depression,  not  excitable 
cases  ;  certain  forms  of  gout,  and  early  stages  of 
Bright' s  disease,  chronic  rheumatism,  anaemia,  and 
neuralgia  do  well  there  ;  but  excitable  neurotic  cases 
should  not  be  sent  there.  The  electric  tramway  is 
now  continued  to  Mentone. 

Eze,  the  next  station  to  Beaulieu,  is  in  a  well 
sheltered  situation,  and  the  Eden  Hotel,  at  Cap  d'Ail, 
only  three  miles  from  M  onte  Carlo,  is  an  attractive 
and  convenient  residence. 

Monaco  and  Monte  Carlo,  although  enjoying  an 
admirably  protected  situation,  are  less  resorted  to  by 
invalids  than  other  less  favoured  resorts,  and  for 
obvious  reasons.  It  is  stated  that  the  mean  annual 
temperature  of  Monaco  is  2°  higher  than  that  of 
Mentone,  and  3°  higher  than  that  of  Nice,  and  as  a 
proof  of  the  greater  mildness  and  equability  of  its 
climate  it  is  also  stated  that  during  the  exceptional 
winter  of  1870-71,  when  at  Cannes  and  at  Nice  the 
frost  destroyed  a  number  of  plants  recently  acclima- 
tised, the  same  plants  at  Monaco  did  not  surfer  at 
all,  although  in  the  open  air  and  without  shelter, 
and  that  the  lemon-trees,  which  were  severely  in- 
jured at  Mentone,  were  not  at  all  affected  at 
Monaco. 

Mentone  is  but  five  miles  east  of  Monaco.  The 
bay,  on  the  shores  of  which  the  town  of  Mentone  is 
built,  is  bounded  on  the  west  by  the  low-lying  Cap 
St.  Martin,  covered  by  forests  of  olive-trees,  and  on 
the  east  by  the  Cap  de  la  Mortola.  From  cape  to 
cape  this  bay  is  about  four  miles  across,  and  has  a 
south-easterly  aspect.  As  at  Cannes,  the  old  town  is 
built  on  a  ridge  which  projects  into  the  sea  and 
divides  off  a  portion  of  this  bay  to  the  east,  this  forming 
the  smaller  and  eastern  bay,  the  western  division 
being  much  wider.  The  division  of  Mentone  into  an 
east  bay  and  a  west  bay  represents  a  very  essential 
difference  in  climate  ;  for  the  Mentone  district  is 
bounded,  behind  and  on  each  side,  by  a  sort  of  semi- 


686      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

circle  of  high  limestone  mountains,  some  of  them 
reaching  an  elevation  of  over  4,000  feet,  and  the  lowest 
depression  or  gap  in  them  being  not  less  than  2,500  feet 
above  the  sea.  The  chief  part  of  this  mountain  wall 
opposite  the  western  bay  is  at  a  distance  of  about  three 
miles  from  the  town,  but  hills  and  ridges  of  lower 
elevation,  from  400  to  700  feet,  run  down  from  it  at 
right  angles  to  the  shore.  Between  these  ridges,  three 
principal  valleys,  with  their  torrents,  stretch  down 
from  the  higher  mountains  and  open  behind  the 
western  bay.  Through  these  valleys  currents  of  air 
descend  from  the  north,  and  so  produce  a  certain 
ventilation  and  movement  of  the  atmosphere  in  this 
part  of  Mentone. 

It  is  quite  different  with  regard  to  the  eastern 
bay.  In  the  first  place  it  is  a  much  deeper  indentation 
of  the  coast  than  the  western  bay,  so  that  its  curve  is 
almost  a  semicircle.  Then  the  hills  come  so  close  to 
the  shore  that  there  is  scarcely  any  room  for  the  town, 
which  consists  here  of  little  more  than  a  road  and  a 
row  of  houses  and  hotels  squeezed  in  between  the  base 
of  the  mountains  and  the  sea-shore  ;  the  mountains, 
however,  recede  a  little,  farther  east,  towards  where 
the  road  ascends  to  the  Italian  frontier.  Nor  are 
there  any  considerable  valleys  opening  into  the  eastern 
bay  to  bring  cool  currents  of  air  down  from  the 
mountains.  It  follows  that  the  temperature  of  this 
bay  is  from  2°  to  3°  F.  higher  than  that  of  the  western 
bay,  owing  to  the  reflection  of  the  sun's  rays  by  day 
from  the  surface  of  the  bare  limestone  rocks  which 
rise  directly  behind  it,  and  to  the  gradual  giving  up  at 
night  of  the  heat  absorbed  during  the  day.  There 
is  also  less  movement  in  the  air.  There  is  said  to  be 
more  humidity  in  the  air  of  the  east  bay  than  in  that 
of  the  west.  The  east  bay,  then,  is  very  sheltered  and 
very  picturesque,  but  it  is  found  to  have  a  relaxing 
effect  on  some  people,  who  also  complain  of  a  sense  of 
being  "  shut  in  "  there,  and  that  on  bright  sunny  days, 
which  often  succeed  one  another  with  an  almost 
wearying  monotony,  the  heat  and  glare  of  the  sun 


MENTONE.  687 

become  really  distressing.*  Then  there  is  only  one 
level  walk,  and  that  is  along  the  dusty  high  road. 
But  for  invalids  whose  chief  care  is  to  lounge  through 
the  winter  in  a  warm  and  comparatively  still  atmo- 
sphere, the  east  bay  of  Mentone  is  well  suited  ;  while 
the  villas  and  houses  built  in  the  wider  eastern  part  of 
the  east  bay  no  doubt  enjoy  the  warmest  and  most 
protected  situation  in  Mentone.  In  the  western  bay 
it  is  quite  different ;  here  the  higher  mountains  fall 
back,  as  has  already  been  said,  to  some  distance 
behind  the  town,  and  the  houses  not  only  stretch  along 
the  bay,  but  extend,  in  a  more  or  less  scattered  way, 
over  the  gradually  sloping  territory  which  reaches 
from  the  bay  to  the  foot  of  the  lower  ridges  and  the 
sides  of  their  intervening  valleys  which  come  down  to 
the  north  of  the  town.  So  that  the  west  bay  is  not  so 
much  protected  from  winds  as  the  east  bay  ;  it  is  more 
open  to  the  south-west  and  to  the  west,  and  con- 
sequently gets  more  wind  and  is  somewhat  cooler  and 
more  bracing.  The  mistral  is  occasionally  felt  at 
Mentone,  especially  in  the  west  bay.  Of  other 
winds,  the  east  is  felt  chiefly  along  the  shore,  and 
shelter  from  this  wind  can  always  be  obtained  in  the 
walks  and  drives  along  the  valleys  behind  the  west 
bay.  South- south -west  and  south-east  winds,  all 
coming  across  the  sea,  have  free  access  to  Mentone, 
but  these  are  not,  as  a  rule,  cold  winds,  although 
they  may  blow  at  times  with  considerable  violence. 
From  the  north  wind  it  is  completely  protected. 

By  comparing  the  means  of  the  temperature 
'records  of  different  observers  at  Mentone,  the 
following  figures  are  obtained.  Mean  temperature 
foj  the  months  from  October  to  May  :  — 

Oct.        Nov.       Dec.        Jan.         Feb.         March.    April.      May. 

East  Bay  65-3  55-3  50*55  49-9  50*6  53-9  587  6576 
West  Bay  62*2  55-6  50-69  49-12  49-46  51-1  57-64  63*1 

*  "  The  eastern  bay  is  simply  a  sun  trap,  almost  intolerable 
all  the  noontide  hours.  Often  have  I  sought  the  old  town  and 
plunged  into  its  dark  street,  as  into  a  bath,  from  the  glare  of  that 
faint  mile  of  great  hotels  and  villas." — Dean  Alford's"  Riviera." 


688      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  during  the  months  in  which 
there  is  least  wind,  December  and  January,  there  is 
scarcely  any  difference  in  the  temperature  of  the  two 
bays,  but  in  the  windy  spring  months  the  greater  pro- 
tection enjoyed  by  the  east  bay  is  shown  by  its  higher 
temperature.  The  lowest  temperature  recorded  dur- 
ing ten  consecutive  winters  was  25-5°  F.  in  March, 
and  the  highest  77°  F.  in  November.  The  mean 
daily  range  of  temperature  was  found  to  be  least  in 
December,  9*2°,  and  greatest  in  April,  12-5°.  The 
average  rainfall  from  October  to  May  inclusive  is 
25*61  inches,  but  if  we  omit  October  and  May,  for  the 
remaining  six  months  it  is  only  17*87  inches.  The 
corresponding  number  of  rainy  days  is  63*8  if  we 
include  October  and  May,  45*15  excluding  them. 
January  and  February  are  the  finest  months,  and 
have  the  smallest  rainfall  and  the  fewest  rainy  days. 
October  is  the  wettest  month.  The  average  number 
of  very  fine  days  for  the  six  winter  months,  from 
November  to  April  inclusive,  seems  to  be  about  94*5, 
rather  more  than  fifteen  in  each  month.  Considered 
generally,  the  climate  of  Mentone  may  be  taken  as  a 
favourable  example  of  the  Riviera  climate,  and  it  has 
the  great  advantage  of  possessing,  as  it  were,  two 
climates,  suited  to  different  classes  of  invalids.  For 
those  who  especially  desire  warmth  and  shelter  and 
a-quiet  indolent  life,  with  plenty  of  sunshine  and  sun- 
heat,  and  who  like  to  live  close  to  the  sea,  there  is 
the  mild  and  sedative  climate  of  the  east  bay,  with 
its  southern  exposure  and  its  almost  complete  pro- 
tection from  strong  winds."*  For  those,  on  the  other 
hand,  who  find  advantage  from  a  more  bracing 
air,  who  like  to  have  the  sun-heat  tempered  by 
cooling  winds,  who  cannot  feel  at  ease  without 
"  ample  space  and  room  enough "  to  wander  free 
over  hill  and  valley,  or  who  are  irritated  by  the 


*  "  There  is  hardly  a  fairer  scene  of  languid  repose  to  be 
found  in  all  this  resty  land.  .  .  .  There  is  no  edge  in  the  breeze, 
no  sea-air  breathing  from  the  waves." — Alford's  "  Riviera." 


MENTONE;  BORDIGHERA.  689 

monotonous  beat  of  the  tideless  sea  against  the 
shore,  or  to  whom  the  saline  emanations  from  the 
sea  prove  exciting  and  discomforting — for  such  there 
is  the  west  bay  with  hotels  and  villas,  some  on  the 
sea-shore,  some  a  little  removed  from  it,  some,  and 
those  the  newest  and  best,  far  removed  from  the  sea 
and  high  up  on  the  hillside.  The  value  of  a  climate 
of  this  kind  in  many  forms  of  pulmonary  affections, 
in  certain  chronic  gouty  and  rheumatic  conditions,  in 
states  of  anaemia,  in  convalescence  from  many  acute 
diseases,  and  in  the  many  infirmities  to  which  old 
age  is  exposed,  is  incontestible. 

There  are  some  very  beautiful  walks  and  drives 
around  Mentone,  but,  unfortunately  for  the  delicate, 
the  walks  are  nearly  all  of  them  steep  and  fatiguing,  so 
that,  unless  he  is  able  to  climb,  the  invalid's  walks 
will  probably  be  restricted  to  the  somewhat  windy 
"  Promenade  du  Midi."  This  is  not  the  case,  how- 
ever, at  the  excellent  hotel  at  Cap  Martin,  where 
many  level  and  shady  walks  may  be  had.  In  the 
adjacent  valley  of  Gorbio,  forty  minutes'  drive  from 
Mentone  station,  a  French  sanatorium  has  been 
erected  for  the  treatment  of  cases  of  tuberculosis.  It 
is  in  a  protected  situation,  facing  south,  at  an  eleva- 
tion of  over  800  feet,  and  distant  two  miles  from  the 
sea.  The  buildings  and  the  accommodation  are  well 
arranged,  and  offer  all  the  needed  facilities  for  a 
satisfactory  open-air  cure  in  a  beautiful  situation  with 
a  sunny  and  tonic  climate.  It  is  known  as  the 
"  Sanatorium  de  Gorbio." 

Bordighera  is  the  next  health  resort  eastward 
from  Mentone,  from  which  it  is  distant  about  ten 
miles,  being  three  miles  from  the  Italian  frontier 
town  of  Ventimiglia.  Bordighera  is  a  conspicuous 
object  nearly  all  along  the  Western  Riviera  as  it 
lies  glittering  in  the  sunshine,  its  houses  clustered 
together  on  a  promontory  that  projects  far  out  into 
the  sea.  It  is  the  only  health  resort  on  this  coast 
that  occupies  a  position  on  a  promontory ;  all  the 
others  being  built  round  bays  or  depressions  in  the 


*fk)o      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS, 

coast.  It  is  naturally,  therefore,  much  exposed  to 
winds,  that  is  to  say,  to  all  those  winds  that  can 
reach  it  in  blowing  across  the  sea ;  the  east,  the 
south-east,  the  south-west,  and  the  west  winds  can 
all  blow  freely  upon  this  promontory.  But  it  is  well 
protected  by  mountains  to  the  north,  north-east,  and 
north-west,  whence  the  coldest  winds  come.  More- 
over, it  is  to  be  remembered  that  all  the  winds  that 
reach  it  must,  on  account  of  its  position,  come  to  it 
from  the  sea,  and  impregnated  with  saline  emanations. 
And  this  is  the  sole  distinguishing  characteristic  of 
tthe  climate  of  Bordighera  as  compared  with  that  of 
•neighbouring  stations  ;  the  predominating  influence 
•of  sea  air  rendering  it  essentially  bracing  and  tonic. 
For  this  reason,  also,  its  temperature  is  probably 
rather  more  equable — warmer  in  the  winter  and 
cooler  in  the  summer — than  at  other  places  on  this 
coast. 

The  old  town  of  Bordighera  is  built  partly  on  the 
promontory  itself,  and  this  commands  a  fine  view 
westward  of  the  Riviera  coast,  Cap  Mortola,  the 
mountains  round  Mentone,  the  Tete  de  Chien  above 
Monaco,  and  even,  on  a  clear  day,  the  Esterels,  west 
<of  Cannes ;  eastward  the  view  is  not  very  remarkable, 
the  chief  objects  being  the  two  capes  which  form  the 
eastern  and  western  boundary  of  the  Bay  of  San 
Remo  (Capo  Nero  and  Capo  Verde),  and  the  little 
bay  and  village  of  Ospedaletti.  The  new  town  has 
been  built  on  level  ground  to  the  west  of  the 
promontory,  on  each  side  of  the  main  carriage- 
road.  This  plain,  thickly  covered  with  dense  olive 
groves,  stretches  for  a  distance  of  three  miles  in 
the  direction  of  Ventimiglia,  and  for  about  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  inland  from  the  shore,  till  it 
reaches  the  base  of  the  hills  forming  its  eastern  and. 
north-eastern  boundary.  Here  some  of  the  princi- 
pal hotels  and  villas  are  built.  The  possession  of 
this  level  tract  of  land  near  the  shore,  thickly 
covered  .with  vegetation,  gives  quite  a  peculiar  and 
attractive  aspect  to  the  western  side  of  Bordighera, 


BORDIGHERA.  691 

"Nowhere  else  can  you  get  such  delightful  strolls 
under  the  dense  shade  of  the  old  olives  without  a 
fatiguing  climb." — (Dean  A  If  or  d.) 

Bordighera  is  also  celebrated  for  its  palm  groves. 
These  give  a  remarkably  Oriental  aspect  to  the 
place.  The  largest  groves  are  to  the  east  of  the 
promontory,  but  they  abound  on  all  sides. 

Bordighera  is  one  of  the  most  equable  of  the  health 
resorts  of  the  Western  Riviera.  The  new  town,  by  its 
position  under  the  cape,  is  greatly  protected  from  the 
east  and  south-east.  It  is  well  protected  also  from 
the  north,  and  fairly  so  from  the  north-west,  though 
the  mountains  in  this  direction  are  distant.  But  it  is 
completely  exposed  to  the  west  and  to  the  south- 
west. At  Bordighera  the  mistral  is  a  west  wind, 
being  turned  completely  in  that  direction  by  the  mass 
of  mountains  behind  Monaco,  and  from  being  forced 
to  blow  over  the  sea  it  loses  somewhat  of  its  dry  and 
cold  character.  Bordighera  naturally  feels  the  local 
sea-breezes,  which  are  not  strong  winds,  more  than 
its  neighbouring  resorts,  and  it  would  seem  to  suffer 
from  the  stronger  winds  in  about  the  same  proportion 
as  these. 

Its  mean  temperature  differs  very  little  from  that 
of  the  other  resorts  on  this  coast.  For  the  whole 
winter  it  is  the  same  as  that  of  Nice,  a  little  lower 
than  at  Cannes,  still  lower  than  at  Mentone.  Its 
position  on  a  promontory  jutting  out  into  the  sea 
would  certainly  tend  to  make  it  cooler  than  its 
neighbours  in  the  hot  spring  months,  and  would  seem 
to  point  to  it  as  a  good  locality  for  invalids  to  move 
to  in  order  to  escape  the  heat  of  this  season  before 
returning  northward.  As  to  the  rainfall  and  number 
of  rainy  days  at  Bordighera,  it  would  seem  to  be 
neither  better  nor  worse  off  than  its  neighbours  in 
this  respect.  It  is  especially  suited  to  invalids  who 
want  sea  air  ;  to  cases  of  torpid  phthisis  in  its  early 
stages,  without  any  tendency  to  haemorrhage  ;  to 
cases  of  throat  and  bronchial  catarrh ;  to  cases  of 
chronic  pleurisy  ;  those  of  convalescence  from  acute 


692      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

diseases,  cases  of  anaemia,  and  many  other  conditions 
of  constitutional  feebleness.  Its  climate  is  too 
exciting  for  the  very  nervous  and  sensitive.  The 
special  facility  it  affords  for  a  variety  of  level,  shady 
walks  cannot  fail  to  make  it  attractive  to  a  large  class 
of  invalids. 

Ospedaletti. — As  we  continue  eastward  from 
Bordighera  the  interest  and  beauty  of  the  coast 
begin  to  diminish.  A  drive  of  three  or  four  miles 
along  the  coast  brings  us  to  the  pretty  little  bay  and 
village  of  Ospedaletti,  shut  in  and  protected  on 
almost  all  sides  by  its  olive-clad  hills.  Ospedaletti 
is  in  an  advantageous  situation,  and  is  much 
resorted  to  by  Germans. 

San  Remo. — Just  beyond  Ospedaletti  we  arrive 
at  one  of  the  most  thriving  of  winter  stations,  the 
old  Italian  coast  town  of  San  Remo.  The  special 
recommendation  of  the  climate  of  San  Remo  seems 
to  be  that  it  is  less  exciting  than  some  of  the  resorts 
further  west,  and  on  that  account  better  suited  to 
nervous  and  sensitive  organisations.  Invalids  who 
cannot  sleep  at  Nice  and  Cannes  can  often  sleep 
at  San  Remo.  Its  temperature  records,  compared 
with  those  of  the  other  health  resorts  on  this  coast, 
show  it  to  be  as  warm  in  winter  as  the  warmest 
of  them,  somewhat  more  equable,  with  less  difference 
between  day  and  night  temperature,  and  less  differ- 
ence between  summer  and  winter  temperature. 
Owing  to  the  greater  equability  of  its  temperature, 
visitors  can  remain  later  at  San  Remo  without 
feeling  the  weather  unpleasantly  hot  and  relaxing  as 
in  some  other  of  the  towns  on  the  Riviera.  The 
Italians  use  it  in  the  summer  as  a  sea  bathing  station. 
It  is  exceedingly  Well  protected  by  a  triple  barrier  of 
mountains  from  northerly  winds,  which  blow  over  the 
town  and  are  only  felt  far  out  at  sea.  The  east  wind 
is  the  strongest  and  most  felt  there,  owing  to  the  low 
elevation  of  Capo  Verde  and  the  absence  of  any  other 
protection  in  this  quarter.  This  and  the  south-east 
are  the  prevailing  winds.  The  north-east  wind  blows 


SAN    REMO;    ALASSIO.  693 

occasionally  in  winter,  and  is  a  biting  cold  wind. 
The  mistral,  too,  is  felt  there,  more  so,  accord- 
ing to  some  observers,  than  at  Mentone.  San  Remo 
has  a  clay  soil,  and  on  that  account  it  is  some- 
what damp  after  heavy  rains,  but  this  is  looked  upon 
as  not  altogether  a  disadvantage,  as  it  tends  to  render 
the  air  less  dry  and  irritating.  The  rainfall  at  San 
Remo  and  the  number  of  rainy  days  during  the 
winter  season  appear  to  be  less  than  at  almost  any 
other  resort  on  this  coast. 

The  accommodation  provided  for  visitors  at  San 
Remo  is  good.  As  to  the  class  of  invalids  likely  to 
be  benefited  by  San  Remo,  it  is  unnecessary  to 
recapitulate  what  has  already  been  said  with  respect 
to  other  health  resorts  on  the  Riviera.  San  Remo  is 
adapted  to  the  same  class  of  cases,  with  this  dis- 
tinction, that  the  climate  is  rather  less  bracing  and 
more  soothing  than  that  of  some  of  the  other  stations, 
and  therefore  better  adapted  to  nervous  and  sen- 
sitive constitutions.  It  is  a  favourite  resort  with 
Germans. 

There  remain  but  two  other  towns  on  the  Western 
Riviera  that  can  be  spoken  of  as  in  any  sense  winter 
health  resorts.  They  are  Alassio  and  Pegli. 

Alassio  is  about  twenty-eight  miles  east  of  San 
Remo,  and  is  best  reached  from  the  north  by  the  line 
from  Turin  to  Savona,  the  latter  town  being  about 
twenty  miles  east  of  Alassio.  Alassio  is  situated  in  a 
lovely  bay,  having  a  south-eastern  aspect  and  being- 
well  protected  by  two  headlands,  Capo  delle  Male  on 
the  wrest,  and  Capo  di  Santa  Croce  on  the  east.  It 
is  also  well  protected  by  encircling  hills  to  the 
north,  at  no  great  distance  from  the  shore.  It 
possesses  an  excellent  beach  of  fine  sand,  and  is 
popular  with  the  Italians  on  that  account  as  a  summer 
bathing-place.  The  Riviera  scenery  again  becomes 
very  beautiful  at  Alassio.  The  fine  hills  behind  the 
town  are  covered  with  olive  trees,  and  there  are 
many  sheltered  nooks  for  villas  as  well  as  admirable 
picturesque  walks  and  drives  in  the  neighbourhood. 


694      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Some  of  the  views  are  remarkably  beautiful  and 
interesting. 

Alassio  is  not  so  warm  as  San  Remo,  as  it  is  rather 
more  open  to  the  north-east  winds,  and  the  northern 
hills  not  being  so  high  the  north  wind  (the  tramontana) 
reaches  a  portion  of  the  district  close  to  the  shore. 
The  wooded  hills  behind  the  town  are  better  suited 
for  the  residence  of  invalids  than  the  sea-shore. 

Pegli  is  really  a.  suburb  of  Genoa,  from  which  it 
is  distant  only  half-an-hour  by  rail.  But  it  is  very 
much  warmer  than  at  Genoa,  as  it  enjoys  a  purely 
local  protection  from  cold  winds  by  means  of  hills 
to  the  north  as  well  as  to  the  east  and  west.  It  is  a 
little  fishing  and  ship-building  town,  situated  along 
the  sea-shore  looking  south.  It  differs,  no  doubt, 
considerably  in  its  climate  from  the  resorts  at  the 
western  extremity  of  the  Riviera  di  Ponente.  The 
humidity  of  the  air,  for  one  thing,  is  much  greater, 
and  those  who  have  found  the  air  of  Mentone 
unpleasantly  dry  and  irritating  have  improved  much 
at  Pegli.  It  has  acquired  a  reputation  for  benefiting 
asthmatic  cases. 

In  the  foregoing  brief  sketch  of  the  principal 
health  resorts  on  the  Western  Riviera,  the  object  has 
been  to  point  out,  in  as  concise  a  manner  as  possible, 
the  chief  characteristics  of  climate  and  situation  of 
those  several  stations.  It  will  be  seen  that  the 
climate  of  the  Riviera  is  by  no  means  a  perfect  one. 
But  if  it  has  cold  winds  and  at  times  blinding  dust, 
and  if  the  air  in  places  is  exceedingly  dry  and 
irritating,  it  has  also  an  immense  proportion  of  fine 
days,  clear  skies,  and  bright  sunshine,  when  from  ten 
in  the  morning  until  three  in  the  afternoon  an  invalid 
can  live  in  the  open  air.  "  The  warm  southern  sun 
and  the  azure  sky  of  the  Mediterranean,  far  more 
than  elevated  temperature,  constitute  the  advantages 
of  this  climate  ;  fine  weather  rather  than  heat  is  what 
is  here  sought  for."  But  if  the  Western  Riviera  has  its 
drawbacks — and  what  climate  has  not  ? — it  must  be 


THE  MARITIME  .ALPS.  695 

admitted  that  the  number  «tf  localities  which  we  there 
have  to  choose  from  gdves  us  an  opportunity  of  selec- 
tion impossible  to  find  elsewhere.  And  then  it  is  a 
region  of  almost  unrivalled  beauty. 

NOTES. 

There  are  but  few  places  in  the  Maritime  Alps  suitable, 
either  by  their  elevation  above  the  sea  or  by  the  accommoda- 
tion they  afford,  for  invalids  who  may  wish  to  avoid  coming 
north  to  pass  the  hot  months  of  summer. 

One  of  the  most  accessible  is  the  valley  of  Thorencs,  with  a 
good  hotel,  kept  by  Mr.  F.  Rost,  of  the  Grand  Hotel,  Grasse.  It 
is  specially  arranged  for  the  mountain  air  cure,  and  is  in  a 
beautiful  situation  near  pine  woods,  at  an  elevation  of  3,850 
feet.  It  can  accommodate  150  people,  and  is  surrounded  by 
a  park  of  1,250  acres.  It  is  open  from  May  i5th  to  October 
1 5th.  It  is  connected  by  carriage  road  with  Grasse  (omnibus 
twice  daily  in  five  hours)  and  Nice. 

The  climate  has  been  spoken  of  very  highly  by  physicians 
who  have  visited  this  valley.  It  is  very  sunny,  dry,  and  equable, 
free  from  damp  and  fog,  and  permitting  invalids  to  be  con- 
tinually in  the  open  air.  It  is  protected  by  high  mountains  to 
the  north  and  east.  Another  resort  is  St.  Martin  Lantosque 
(3,120  feet  above  the  sea,  and  seven  hours  from  Nice  by 
carriage-road);  it  affords  fair  accommodation  in  several  hotels 
and  pensions,  and  is  becoming  more  and  more  resorted  to 
during  the  summer,  especially  by  the  inhabitants  of  Nice.  It 
is  surrounded  by  beautiful  scenery;  the  air  is  pure,  fresh,  and 
moderately  bracing.  There  is,  at  times,  a  good  deal  of 
humidity  of  atmosphere  ;  but  the  temperature  is  equable,  and 
rarely  fluctuates  many  degrees  in  the  twenty-four  hours. 

The  Baths  of  Valdieri  (about  4, 300  feet  above  the  sea),  on  the 
Italian  side  of  the  Maritime  Alps,  can  be  reached  from  St. 
Martin  in  five  and  a-half  hours,  either  on  foot  or,  in  fine 
weather,  by  mule  track.  The  climate  is  mild  and  equable,  and 
the  place  is  completely  protected  from  winds  from  the  north  ; 
but  it  is  refreshed  by  local  currents  of  air  which  are  rarely 
very  strong.  The  surrounding  scenery  is  grand  and  pic- 
turesque ;  the  only  drawback  is  the  difficulty  of  access.  On 
the  Italian  side  it  is  approached  from  Coni. 

The  Baths  of  Vinadio  and  those  of  Certosa  di  Pesio  are  also 
reached  by  mountain  passes  from  St.  Martin. 

All  the  preceding  resorts  are  approached  from  Nice  by  the 
Vesubie  Valley.  The  adjacent  valley  of  the  Ray  a  has  the 
advantage  of  being  traversed  in  its  upper  part  by  a  carriage- 
road  which  connects  Turin  and  the  plains  of  Piedmont  with 


696      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

the  Riviera  at  Nice.      A  conveyance  runs  daily  from  Nice  to 
Coni  in  eighteen  hours. 

In  this  valley  is  St.  Dalmas  diTendi  (3,500  feet  above  the  sea), 
about  fifty-three  miles  from  Nice  on  the  high  road  between  Nice 
and  Coni.  It  has  an  Etablissement  for  hydrotherapy,  with  a 
fine  garden,  which  was  formerly  a  Carthusian  monastery, 
and  it  has  also  a  fairly  good  hotel.  It  is  in  the  midst  of 
wild  and  beautiful  scenery. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

SEA      VOYAGES     AND     SOME     DISTANT      CLIMATIC 
RESORTS. 

Sea    Voyages. 

TRAVELLING  by  sea  presents  such  great  attractions 
to  some  persons,  and  is  associated  with  so  many  dis- 
comforts to  others,  that  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at 
that  sea  voyages  for  invalids  have  both  their  oppo- 
nents and  their  advocates.  As  a  common  prescription 
for  consumptive  patients  it  is  not  nearly  so  popular  as 
it  once  was,  more  especially  since  the  open-air  treat- 
ment of  these  cases  in  suitably-placed  sanatoria  has 
been  attended  with  such  satisfactory  results  ;  for  one 
of  the  great  recommendations  of  a  sea  voyage,  for  such 
patients,  was  that  it  provided  them  with  an  out-of- 
door  life  which  they  now  get  in  these  sanatoria. 

But  before  we  refer  to  the  disadvantages  and 
drawbacks  of  a  sea  voyage,  it  will  be  advisable  to 
mention  its  advantages  as  they  are  generally  stated. 

These  are — ist,  perfect  rest  and  quiet  ;  complete 
removal  from  and  change  of  ordinary  occupation 
and  way  of  life  ;  a  very  thorough  change  of  scene, 
and  perfect  and  enforced  rest  from  both  mental  and 
physical  labour. 

2nd — The  open-air  life  it  provides  and  the  great 
amount  of  sunshine  to  be  enjoyed  (it  is  quite  possible, 
under  the  most  favourable  circumstances,  to  spend 
fifteen  hours  daily  in  the  open  air),  and,  whenever  it 
is  possible,  the  traveller  by  sea  is  certain  to  endeavour 
to  escape  from  the  close  and  not  rarely  unpleasant 
atmosphere  of  a  small  cabin  into  the  pure  air  to  be 
found  on  deck. 

3rd — The  great  purity  of  the  air  at  sea,  and  its 
entire  freedom  from  organic  dust  and  other  impurities. 
In  this  respect  it  has  an  advantage  over  the  air  of  the 


698      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

open  country,  for  the  latter  is  apt  to  contain  the  pollen 
of  grasses  and  other  plants  which,  in  some  persons, 
excite  "  hay  fever "  and  "  asthma."  The  air  of  the 
cabins  may,  of  course,  be  contaminated,  but  the  air 
of  the  open  sea  "  is  probably  the  purest  that  can  be 
found  on  the  surface  of  the  globe." 

4th — The  presence  in  sea-air  of  a  large  amount  of 
"  ozone,"  or  an  active  form  of  oxygen,  as  well  as  of 
particles  of  saline  matters,  especially  in  stormy 
weather,  from  the  sea-spray,  which  may  exercise  a 
beneficial  influence  on  the  respiratory  mucous 
membrane. 

5th — The  great  equability  of  the  temperature  at 
sea.  Even  in  the  tropics  the  mid-day  temperature  is 
rarely  over  85°  F.  This  refers  chiefly  to  the  daily 
variations,  which  rarely  exceed  4°  or  5°  F.  It  must 
be  borne  in  mind,  as  we  shall  see  directly,  that  in  a 
long  sea  voyage  very  considerable  variations  of  tem- 
perature are  encountered,  and  in  a  swift  steamer  the 
transitions  are  somewhat  sudden. 

6th — The  humidity  of  the  atmosphere  (the  mean 
relative  humidity  is  about  73-5  per  cent.)  and  the  high 
barometric  pressure,  which  are  considered  to  exercise 
a  useful  sedative  influence  on  certain  constitutions. 
It  is  said  that  the  body  temperature  averages  i°  F. 
lower  at  sea  on  account  of  this  sedative  effect. 

7th — The  exhilarating  and  tonic  effect  of  rapid 
motion  through  the  air  ;  for,  by  the  continuous  pro- 
gress of  the  ship,  the  sea-breezes  are  constantly 
blowing  over  it,  and  the  passengers  are  borne  along 
without  any  exertion  of  their  own.  The  influence 
of  these  currents  of  air  on  the  body  surface  is  no 
doubt  important  as  a  stimulant  and  a  tonic,  in- 
creasing evaporation  from  the  skin,  and  imparting 
tone  to  the  superficial  blood-vessels.  To  these 
influences  must  be  added,  in  long  sea  voyages,  the 
invigorating  effect  of  the  changes  of  climates  ex- 
perienced in  passing  through  the  different  regions  of 
the  ocean.  It  must,  however,  be  admitted  that 
although  this  may  have  a  bracing  effect  on  many, 


SEA     VOYAGES.  699 

it  is  often  injurious  to  the  more  serious  and  sensitive 
class  of  invalids. 

The  sea  voyage,  for  persons  whom  it  suits,  may  be 
regarded  as  a  combination  of  sedative  and  tonic 
influences,  increasing  the  appetite,  stimulating  the 
nutritive  processes,  and  favouring  repose  of  mind 
and  calm  sleep. 

We  may  next  notice  the  various  kinds  of  sea 
voyages  that  are  practicable  for  invalids. 

There  are,  in  the  first  place,  the  short  voyages  or 
trips  to  Madeira,  or  the  Canaries,  and  back,  in  large 
ocean-going  steamers  ;  to  Gibraltar,  Malta,  Genoa, 
Naples,  and  the  various  ports  of  the  Mediterranean  ; 
then  there  are  the  short  "  pleasure  trips,"  with  fre- 
quent stoppages  and  landings,  now  organised  at 
different  periods  of  the  year  by  the  several  steam- 
ship companies  and  by  private  enterprise. 

2nd — There  are  voyages  of  medium  length,  such 
as  to  the  West  Indies  and  back,  to  Brazil  and  the 
River  Plate,  to  the  Cape  and  back,  to  India  and  back, 
and 

3rd — There  is  the  long  sea  voyage,  which  usually 
means  round  the  Cape  to  New  Zealand  or  Australia 
and  back ;  or  the  Suez  Canal  route  may  be  taken  ;  or 
the  voyage  to  India  may  be  extended  to  China  and 
Japan.  For  the  voyage  round  the  Cape  to  Australia 
or  New  Zealand  the  patient  should  leave  in  October 
and  return  in  June  ;  the  outward  voyage  takes  in  a 
steamer  about  six  weeks,  and  in  a  sailing  vessel  ten 
to  fourteen  weeks  ;  there  should  be  an  interval  of 
four  to  eight  weeks  on  land  ;  the  return  journey  is 
generally  made  by  the  Suez  Canal.  In  this  trip  the 
full  effect  of  the  ocean  climate  is  obtained.  The 
drawbacks  are  the  absence  of  fresh  vegetables  and 
fruit,  the  monotony  of  the  life  and  diet,  especially  in 
a  sailing  vessel,  and  the  long  calms  with  great  heat  in 
the  tropics.  In  returning  by  the  Canal  the  transition 
from  the  heat  of  the  Red  Sea  to  the  cold  winds  of  the 
Mediterranean  may  prove  injurious,  while  to  sail 
back  round  the  Cape  would  be  long  and  tedious. 


700      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

The  heat  in  the  Red  Sea  is  the  great  drawback  to 
the  eastern  voyage  to  Ceylon,  India,  China,  Japan, 
etc.,  which  is  otherwise  an  interesting  and  attractive 
one,  and  luxurious  accommodation  can  be  obtained 
in  the  fine  vessels  of  the  P.  &  O.  fleet. 

The  voyage  to  the  Cape  and  back,  with  short 
trips  into  the  interior  of  Cape  Colony,  or  to  Natal, 
occupying  from  six  to  eight  weeks  or  more,  is  long 
enough  for  many  cases. 

The  trip  to  the  West  Indies  may  be  recommended 
to  those  patients  who  are  benefited  by  moist  heat, 
but  it  is  unsuited  to  those  who  are  depressed  by  these 
conditions.  It  is  also  important  to  ascertain  that  the 
islands  visited  are  free  from  endemic  diseases.  Bar- 
bados is  said  to  be  generally  healthy. 

The  voyage  to  the  coast  towns  of  Brazil  and  to 
the  River  Plate  at  a  suitable  season  is  attractive  from 
its  moderate  length,  the  number  of  places  called  at, 
and  the  fine  winter  climate  and  beautiful  scenery  of 
most  of  the  places  visited.  An  interesting  but  more 
adventurous  trip  is  that  from  New  York  to  San  Fran- 
cisco by  Panama,  taking  twenty-eight  days.  From 
San  Francisco  trips  can  be  made  of  varied  length, 
in  a  warm  climate,  to  other  Pacific  ports. 

Next,  as  to  the  cases  best  suited  to  a  sea 
voyage. 

All  authorities  are  agreed  that  the  best  results 
obtained  from  sea  voyages  are  seen  in  those  cases 
of  anomalous  nervous  affections,  unconnected  with 
organic  disease,  that  are  induced  by  over-work  or 
worry  and  anxiety,  and  often  associated  with  disorder 
of  the  digestive  organs — cases  that  have  been  termed 
"irritable  weakness"  of  the  nervous  system.  The 
perfect  rest,  the  constant  exposure  to  the  invigorating 
sea  breezes,  the  open-air  life,  the  entire  change  of 
scene,  all  these  influences  combined  tend  to  bring 
back  the  power  of  sleeping  soundly  and  of  digesting 
well,  and  to  restore  a  healthy  organic  activity  both 
physical  and  mental. 

As  these  nervous  conditions  vary  greatly,  so  the 


SEA      VOYAGES.  701 

kind  of  voyage  suitable  to  their  several  needs  varies 
also.  For  some  a  mere  pleasure  trip  of  a  few  weeks' 
duration  is  all  that  is  necessary  ;  for  others  a  some- 
what longer  voyage  may  be  better,  as  that  to  the 
Cape  and  back,  or  one  in  which  the  interest  is  kept 
alive  by  frequent  stoppages  at  interesting  spots,  as  in 
the  voyages  to  the  different  Mediterranean  ports,  or 
to  Ceylon  or  India  and  back,  or  to  the  Brazils,  or 
the  still  longer  voyage  to  China  and  Japan  ;  while  in 
some  more  chronic  and  troublesome  cases,  requiring 
a  prolonged  period  of  perfect  rest,  the  long  sea 
voyage  to  Australia  or  New  Zealand  may  be  most 
appropriate.  The  natural  temperament  and  disposi- 
tion of  the  patient  must  be  considered,  as  some  bear 
the  inevitable  monotony  of  a  long  sea  voyage  badly, 
and  are  more  benefited  by  two  .or  three  shorter 
voyages  with  longer  or  shorter  intervals.  Perhaps 
the  next  most  suitable  cases  for  a  sea  voyage,  and 
especially  for  a  long  one,  are  cases  of  chronic 
scrofulous  disease  of  the  joints,  glands,  and  skin  ; 
or  wounds  in  scrofulous  persons  that  are  slow  to 
heal ;  such  patients  may  be  incapacitated  by  their 
maladies  from  taking  much  exercise  in  the  open  air, 
and  the  advantage  of  being  carried  through  the  open 
air  in  a  ship,  and  constantly  exposed  to  the  tonic 
influences  of  the  sea  breezes,  is  very  great  Some 
cases  of  protracted  and  tedious  convalescence  from 
severe  attacks  of  chest  and  other  disease  are  occa- 
sionally greatly  benefited  by  a  sea  voyage,  especially 
if  the  patients  have  a  fondness  for  the  life  at  sea,  and 
do  not  look  upon  it  with  dread  or  distaste. 

The  sea  voyage  in  warm  latitudes  is  also  useful  in 
some  cases  of  hepatic  and  renal  functional  disorders  ; 
in  the  latter  the  warmth  and  moisture  of  the  tropics 
or  the  sub-tropical  regions,  by  exciting  great  activity  of 
the  skin,  often  prove  especially  favourable  ;  and  in 
the  former,  the  alterative  influence  of  sea  air  may 
prove  very  beneficial.  Cases  of  chronic  dysentery 
acquired  during  residence  in  hot  countries,  and  the 
chronic  intestinal  catarrh  occurring  as  a  consequence 


702      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS.' 

of  such  attacks,  are  often  completely  cured  by  a 
voyage  at  sea.  We  often  find  that  men  invalided 
home  suffering  from  the  effects  of  tropical  and  malarial 
affections  arrive  in  England  already  partly  restored 
to  health  by  the  sea  voyage.  Cases  of  chronic 
catarrh  of  the  larynx  and  bronchi,  and  some  cases, 
but  by  no  means  all,  of  chronic  muscular  and  articular 
rheumatism,  are  benefited  by  winter  voyages  to  warm 
climates  ;  also  cases  of  hay  fever  are  cured  at  sea. 

In  certain  forms  of  debility  in  young  people, 
associated  with  over-growth  or  educational  strain, 
or  dependent  on  other  depressing  influences,  and 
which  threaten  to  induce  serious  disease,  a  long  sea 
voyage  is  often  of  essential  service. 

Such  cases,  especially  if,  perchance,  accompanied 
by  a  slight  cough  from  a  relaxed  or  catarrhal 
condition  of  the  mucous  membranes  of  the  throat  or 
upper  air  passages,  are  not  unfrequently  suspected  to 
be  cases  of  so-called  "  incipient  phthisis,"  and  it  is 
probably  mainly  owing  to  the  exceedingly  good 
results  that  are  obtained  in  these  cases  from  a  long 
sea  voyage,  that  we  owe  the  great  reputation  which 
sea  voyages  formerly  enjoyed  in  the  treatment  of 
consumption. 

If  we  were  to  subtract  from  the  so-called  cures 
of  consumption,  attributed  to  sea  voyages,  all 
those  that  may  not  have  been  cases  of  consumption 
at  all,  the  residue,  we  suspect,  would  be  surprisingly 
small.  But  as  a  preventive,  in  young  men  with  a  con- 
stitutional tendency  to  phthisis,  a  long  sea  voyage  is 
of  great  value. 

The  propriety  of  sending  persons,  who  are  un- 
doubtedly the  subjects  of  tubercular  disease  of  the 
lungs,  on  a  sea  voyage,  is  a  point  of  some  doubt  and 
difficulty.  The  late  Sir  Andrew  Clark,  who  had  him- 
self been  a  naval  surgeon  and  had  had  an  altogether 
exceptional  experience  in  connection  with  this  sub- 
ject, said  : — "  For  my  own  part,  when  I  now  review 
the  experience  of  the  effects  of  sea  voyages  upon 
young  invalids,  I  am  more  strongly  impressed  than 


SEA    VOYAGES.  703 

ever  I  was  before  with  the  necessity  of  extreme 
caution  in  prescribing  them."*  Our  own  experience 
is  certainly  in  accord  with  this  view.  No  one  can 
control  the  accidents  of  weather  at  sea,  and  a  long 
voyage  made  in  bad  weather  may  suffice  to  destroy 
all  hope  of  recovery  in  such  cases.  The  cases  in 
which  a  sea  voyage  may  possibly  be  expected  to  be 
attended  with  benefit  are  those  in  which  either  the 
disease  is  limited  and  progressing  slowly,  and  without 
fever,  in  young  persons  with  constitutions  otherwise 
healthy  and  vigorous,  or  others  in  which  the  disease, 
after  a  stage  of  active  progress,  and  perhaps  the 
formation  of  a  limited  cavity,  has  become  stationary 
and  quiescent,  and  the  general  health  is  fairly  good. 

In  either  of  these  conditions,  if  the  patient  has  a 
taste  for  a  sea-faring  life,  a  sea  voyage  is  calculated 
to  be  of  service.  But  even  in  these  cases,  if  there  is 
any  distaste  for  the  sea,  it  is  unwise  to  urge  it. 

On  the  impropriety  and  unwisdom  of  sending 
cases  of  advanced  consumption,  or  cases  of  actively 
progressive  disease,  or  cases  in  which  the  general 
health  and  strength  are  seriously  compromised,  on 
a  long  sea  voyage,  many  have  animadverted. 

The  late  Professor  Sir  W.  H.  Flower  made  some 
pertinent  observations  on  this  point.  "  The  principal 
objection,  "  he  said,  "  to  persons  in  delicate  health 
undertaking  a  long  sea  voyage  is  the  uncertainty 
about  the  influences  to  which  he  or  she  may  be 
exposed ;  while  on  land  the  traveller  is,  to  a  great 
extent,  his  own  master,  and  has  power  to  control  the 
surrounding  conditions.  He  may  regulate  the  day's 
journey,  according  to  strength  or  inclination,  he  may 
linger  in  such  places  as  have  agreeable  associations 
and  environments,  he  may  hasten  over  those  of  an 
opposite  character ;  but  when  once  embarked  upon 
a  voyage,  whether  he  finds  himself  crowded  in  a  dark, 
close,  cabin,  with  two  or  three  uncongenial  compan- 
ions, lying  on  a  narrow,  hard  shelf,  port-holes  rigidly 
closed,  and  the  atmosphere  he  breathes  poisoned  by 
*  Brit.  Med.Jour.,  Dec.  20,  1890. 


;o4      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

noisome  odours,  of  which  the  sickening  smell  of  the 
oil  of  the  engines  is  one  of  the  least  objectionable ; 
the  rain  pouring  on  deck  making  escape  from  his 
prison,  even  for  a  few  minutes,  impossible  ;  when  he 
feels  he  would  give  all  his  w^ordly  possessions  for 
a  breath  of  pure  air,  or  a  few  hours'  cessation  from  the 
perpetual  din  of  the  engines  within  and  the  waves 
without ;  he  is  perfectly  helpless,  he  must  go  through 
it,  day  after  day,  and  night  after  night,  until  the 
weather  changes  or  the  voyage  is  ended." 

Dr.  Coupland  Taylor,  himself  an  invalid,  com- 
mented — ("  The  Ocean  as  a  Health  Resort  in 
Phthisis") — on  the  "real  hardships"  of  a  long  sea 
voyage  in  a  sailing  vessel  to  Australia,  and  he 
contends  that  the  purity,  etc.,  of  the  sea-air  is,  for 
invalids,  more  than  outweighed  by  the  obvious 
disadvantages  of  close,  hot  cabins,  the  weakness 
caused  by  sea-sickness,  damp  sea-fogs,  draughty 
saloons,  etc.  In  the  first  part  of  the  voyage  to 
Australia,  if  undertaken,  as  it  usually  is,  about  the 
month  of  September  or  October,  you  encounter,  he 
says,  "  sea-sickness  and  cold  winds ; "  and  in  the 
second  part,  when  the  hot  regions  are  reached,  the 
"  decks  are  running  with  water  from  heavy  dews," 
so  that  the  invalid  cannot  sleep  in  the  open  air,  and 
the  cabins  are  intolerably  close,  shared,  as  they 
usually  are,  with  one  or  two  companions. 

In  a  gale  the  invalid  is  necessarily  shut  up  below, 
probably  sea-sick,  and  may  for  days  be  confined  in  a 
close,  unwholesome  atmosphere,  with  no  possibility 
of  leaving  it. 

There  is  a  pleasant  time  after  the  first  fortnight, 
when  the  N.E.  trade  winds  are  reached,  and  until 
the  ship  enters  the  tropics.  A  fortnight  passed  in 
the  humid  heat  of  the  tropics  is  very  depressing.  To 
the  tropics  succeeds  the  most  pleasant  part  of  the 
voyage,  i.e.  the  S.E.  trade  winds  between  15°  and 
40°  S.  lat.,  with  very  fine  weather.  After  passing  the 
Cape,  further  trials  await  the  invalid,  in  the  shape  of 
heavy  seas  and  great  cold  from  the  nearness  of  ice, 


VOYAGES,  70$ 

and  as  there  are  no  fires  he  can  only  find  warmth  in 
his  bed.  This  lasts  until  he  nears  the  west  coast  of 
Australia,  and  then  (December)  he  gets  into  pleasant 
summer  weather  for  the  rest  of  the  voyage.  Of 
ten  consumptives  on  board  the  same  sailing  vessel 
with  Dr.  C.  Taylor,  he  stated  that  six  died  soon  after 
their  arrival  in  the  colony.  His  conclusion  was  that 
it  needs  considerable  bodily  strength  to  withstand  the 
bad  weather  and  the  great  transitions  incidental  to 
the  long  sea  voyage  in  a  sailing  vessel. 

Dr.  L.  E.  Shaw  also  testified  from  personal  obser- 
vation to  the  same  effect.  He  say  :  "  No  one  who 
has  acted  as  surgeon  to  an  invalid  ship,  who  has  seen 
patients  with  advanced  phthisis  suddenly  transferred 
from  their  comfortable  invalid  homes,  on  land,  to  the 
small  accommodation  and  scanty  luxuries  which,  with 
the  best  intentions,  the  authorities  are  able  to  provide 
for  them  at  sea  ;  no  one  who  has  watched  the  fearful 
anxiety  of  these  patients  to  get  back  to  their 
homes  when  they  find  their  disease  progressing,  and 
who,  finally,  as  their  best  and  perhaps  only  friend, 
has  received  their  last  messages  for  their  relatives, 
could  possibly  recommend  a  long  sea  voyage  as  a 
justifiable  treatment  in  such  cases.  What  I  would 
contend  is  that,  while  for  the  large  majority  of  cases 
of  phthisis,  in  which  the  patient  is  willing  to  submit 
to  such  treatment,  a  long  sea  voyage  is  unsuitable, 
whether  in  a  sailing  vessel  or  a  steamer,  for  the 
minority,  who  can  be  safely  recommended  to  try  it,  a 
sailing  vessel  is  much  to  be  preferred." 

Of  the  voyage  to  New  Zealand,  a  gentleman  who 
sailed  early  in  December,  to  avoid  an  English  winter, 
gave  the  following  account  : — "  The  weather  was 
very  pleasant  for  some  days  after  we  lefc  Teneriffe  ; 
but,  as  we  had  a  following  wind,  the  north-east  trade, 
it  got  gradually  warmer  until  the  thermometer 
touched  83°  in  the  cabins  at  10  degrees  north. 
Then  began  a  process  which  astonished  us  very 
much.  So  far,  we  had  not  been  any  great  distance 
from  land  ;  but  as  soon  as  we  passed  the  Gulf  of 
x 


706      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Guinea,  and  while  still  north  of  the  equator,  the  tem- 
perature began  to  fall,  82,  80,  79,  77,  75,  71,  71,  69, 
69,  68.  This,  with  a  strong  south-east  trade  wind  in 
our  teeth,  made  the  ship  very  cool,  if  not  cold  ;  and, 
when  under  the  vertical  sun,  great-coats  and  rugs 
were  required  on  deck  after  dinner.  As  we  ap- 
proached land  again,  towards  the  Cape,  the  ther- 
mometer rose  a  few  degrees,  touching  74°  ;  but,  as 
soon  as  the  land  was  left  behind,  it  went  to  71,  63,  57, 
55>  52>  5°>  45-  These  are  cabin  readings,  and  on  deck 
37°  and  36°  were  the  mid-day  temperatures.  The 
regular  steamer-route  goes  to  51  degrees  south,  and 
travels  on  that  parallel  for  65  degrees  ;  and  one  soon 
begins  to  wonder  whether  doctors  know  what  they 
are  about  when  they  recommend  a  voyage  round  the 
Cape.  The  weather,  we  are  told,  is  quite  normal, 
and  a  shower  of  sleet  is  just  what  may  be  looked  for 
at  midsummer  here.  The  ship's  officers  consider  it  a 
very  good  voyage,  and  the  captain,  when  he  turns  out 
of  his  cabin,  after  a  week  of  congestion  of  the  lungs, 
says  the  weather  is  beautiful.  So  it  is,  according  to 
the  log  ;  for  there  is  generally  plenty  of  fair  wind, 
and  the  runs  are  long  ;  but  it  is  not  invalids'  weather. 
I  wear  both  summer  and  winter  flannels,  a  chamois 
waistcoat,  and,  with  a  great-coat  turned  up  at  the 
neck,  and  lined  gloves  on,  I  manage  to  walk  for  an 
hour  once,  or  it  may  be  twice  a  day ;  but  one  day 
this  week  I  did  not  get  out  at  all,  and  I  had  to  pay 
for  one  of  my  walks  with  a  mustard  blister.  I  am 
not  prepared  to  say  that  the  cold  weather  has  been 
bad  for  me  ;  for  I  had  a  troublesome  cough  when  the 
weather  was  warmer,  which  I  have  not  got  now ; 
but  it  is  risky,  and,  for  a  weaker  man,  would  be 
dangerous." 

Attention  has  often  been  drawn  to  the  absence,  on 
board  the  great  ocean-going  steamers,  of  any  special 
arrangements  for  the  comfort  and  welfare  of  the  sick, 
and  the  absence  also  of  single-berth  cabins  so  necessary 
for  invalids,  especially  when  suffering  from  a  disease 
like  phthisis,  which  is  certainly  communicable  under 


SEA      VOYAGES.  707 

certain  conditions,  or  from  other  diseases  which  may 
render  them  obnoxious  to  their  fellow-travellers.  If 
consumptive  patients  are  sent  on  a  sea  voyage  they 
should  certainly  have  cabins  to  themselves. 

Many  steamers  now  provide  a  certain  number  of 
single  cabins,  and  persons  who  are  in  a  position  to 
pay  for  superior  accommodation  can  usually  obtain  it, 
but  a  sea  voyage  then  becomes  a  costly  affair. 

There  are  some  differences  of  opinion  as  to  whether 
it  is  better  to  take  a  long  sea  voyage  in  a  steamer  or 
a  sailing  vessel.  In  favour  of  the  steamer,  it  is  said 
there  is  less  monotony  of  diet,  less  preserved  and  more 
fresh  food,  less  tediousness  and  more  variety  of  scene, 
and  no  liability  to  be  becalmed  many  days  in  a  trying 
tropical  atmosphere.  In  favour  of  a  well-appointed 
sailing  vessel  it  is  urged  that  the  cabins  are  more 
spacious,  there  is  plenty  of  deck-room,  no  over- 
crowding, no  unpleasant  smell  of  oil  from  the  engines, 
no  jarring  and  unpleasant  vibration  from  the  screw 
disturbing  rest  at  night.  There  is  more  leisure  to  en- 
joy and  realise  a  sea  life,  the  changes  of  temperature 
are  more  gradual,  and  there  is  a  greater  gain  to  health 
provided  the  voyage  is  not  too  long  and  wearisome. 
A  steamer,  it  is  said,  hurries  invalids  too  quickly  from 
fog  and  cold  to  tropical  heat,  and  from  tropical  heat 
to  the  icebergs  of  the  Southern  Ocean.  A  sailing 
vessel  provided  with  means  of  "  steaming"  would  be 
best. 

Patients  who  should  avoid  long  sea  voyages  are 
gouty,  bilious,  neuralgic,  and  headachy  persons; 
persons  suffering  from  haemorrhoids ;  most  forms  of 
chronic  dyspepsia,  on  account  of  the  food ;  and  all  cases 
of  grave  'disease,  and  great  general  debility,  requiring 
detailed  attention  and  care,  on  account  of  the  uncer- 
tainties inseparable  from  sea  travel, 

This  remark  does  not  apply  to  persons  who  are 
rich  enough  to  have  a  large  steam  yacht  of  their  own 
with  travelling  physician  and  nurses. 

Epileptics  and  the  melancholy  and  suicidal  are 
obviously  unsuitable. 


;o8        CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Cases  of  asthma  should  not  be  sent  to  sea  without 
first  ascertaining  if  they  bear  well  sea  air  and  ship  life. 
Some  physicians  advise  a  sea  voyage  in  the  milder 
forms  of  diabetes,  but  we  see  no  particular  reason  for 
this,  and  there  must  be  a  certain  difficulty  about  the 
diet  in  long  voyages. 

It  should  also  be  remembered  that  it  may  prove 
injurious  and  cruel  to  urge  a  sea  voyage  on  persons 
who  are  not  good  sailors,  and  that  women  do  not 
bear  sea  voyages  as  well  as  men. 

Distant    Resorts. 

Recourse  to  a  resort  far  distant  from  England 
necessarily  involves  a  sea  voyage  of  some  duration, 
and  this  may  prove  an  insuperable  objection  to  the 
large  class  of  invalids  who  have  a  dread  of  the  sea, 
and  there  are  others  whom  we  may  be  unwilling  to 
submit  to  the  hazards  and  uncertainties  of  a  sea 
voyage.  Distant  resorts  are  reserved  mainly  for 
those  who  are  termed  "hardy  invalids,"  who  are 
not  the  subjects  of  serious  attacks,  but  who  desire 
entire  change  of  scene  and  relief  from  habitual 
surroundings,  so  as  to  efface  painful  impressions  or 
modify  depressing  mental  states. 

They  may  also  be  attractive  to  young  persons  who, 
having  broken  down  in  health  at  home,  may  find 
it  expedient  to  seek  occupation  and  a  livelihood  in 
other  climes.  There  is  also  a  certain  limited  class 
of  chronic  maladies  that  are  benefited  by  a  greater 
and  more  complete  change  of  climatic  conditions 
than  can  be  obtained  except  at  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, such,  for  instance,  as  the  climate  of  the  West 
Indies. 

South  Africa  was,  before  the  outbreak  of  the 
Transvaal  War,  largely  resorted  to  by  the  class  of 
young  persons  we  have  referred  to,  who,  together  with 
altered  climatic  conditions,  needed  to  find  occupation 
and  a  livelihood.  We  have  pointed  out,  in  a  former 
chapter,  that  under  existing  circumstances  South 


SOUTH     AFRICA-.  709 

Africa  is  hardly  a  suitable  country  for  young  invalids, 
and  it  would  be  difficult  at  present  to  point  to  any 
particular  stations  where  they  might  go  with  advan- 
tage. We  shall  only  refer  to  a  few  of  the  better- 
known  resorts. 

The  general  characteristics  of  the  climate 
of  the  South  African  veldt  are  well  known,  viz.  low 
atmospheric  pressure,  great  dryness  and  clearness  of 
the  atmosphere,  abundant  and  intense  sunshine, 
small  rainfall,  and  a  wide  daily  range  of  temperature  ; 
also  great  purity  of  the  air  and  freedom  from  organic 
dust ;  but  the  dust  and  the  winds  are  often  very 
trying,  and  so  are  the  heat  and  absence  of  shade  in 
summer.  The  South  African  winter,  which  corre- 
sponds with  our  summer,  is  the  best  season  for  the 
phthisical,  the  class  of  invalids  chiefly  interested  in 
these  climates,  and  those  of  the  more  vigorous  sort 
mend  greatly  if  they  are  at  first  received  into  suitable 
sanatoria  and  well  looked  after. 

Cape  Town  is  not  a  suitable  resort  for  these 
patients.  In  the  winter  season  (May,  June  and  July) 
it  is  humid,  rainy,  and  windy  ;  in  summer  it  is  dusty. 
Its  suburbs  are  preferable,  such  as  Claremont  (with  a 
sanatorium),  Rondebosch,  and  Wynberg.  Two  hours 
from  Cape  Town  is  Caledon  (850  feet),  with  thermal 
gaseous  iron  springs  and  a  sanatorium,  and  Ceres 
(1,493  feet)  is  also  easily  accessible — this  and 
Grahamstown  (1,772  feet),  in  the  eastern  part  of  Cape 
Colony,  are  good  transition  stations  between  the 
coast  and  the  high  veldt.  Beaufort  West  is  higher 
(2,729  feet),  and  is  midway  between  Cape  Town  and 
Kimberley,  and,  like  Cradock  (2,856  feet),  is  regarded 
as  a  suitable  resort  for  consumptive  patients  on  first 
arriving  in  South  Africa.  Turkastad  (4,300  feet), 
Burghersdorf  (4,554  feet),  Aliwal  North  (4,330  feet), 
on  the  Orange  River,  have  all  been  recommended 
as  eligibly  situated  resorts.  Kimberley  (4,042  feet) 
has  a  well-appointed  sanatorium ;  so  has  Bark- 
ley  West  (4,000  feet);  Bloemfontein  (4,518  feet) 
has  been  referred  to  in  a  former  chapter.  Harrismith 


710      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

(5,250  feet),  in  the  Orange  River  Colony,  has  been 
highly  praised  as  a  resort  for  the  phthisical ; 
Maritzburg  (2,200  feet),  the  capital  of  Natal,  forty- 
one  miles  from  the  coast,  has  a  warm,  moist  climate 
suitable  for  cases  of  chronic  laryngeal  and  bronchial 
catarrh.  As  we  have  already  said,  very  careful 
inquiries  should  be  made  before  invalids  set  out  for 
any  South  African  resort. 

Australia.  There  are  very  few  invalids  to  whom 
a  resort  to  Australia  can  be  recommended.  Young 
men  with  some  chest  delicacy,  but  capable  ot 
pursuing  an  agricultural  life,  may  find  healthy 
occupation  in  some  of  the  more  favoured  localities, 
such  as  Eden,  in  New  South  Wales,  and  Twofold 
Bay,  in  Victoria  ;  in  some  parts  of  Gippsland,  as  Mount 
Macedon,  with  a  good  sanatorium  adjacent ;  some 
resorts  in  the  Blue  Mountains,  as  Mount  Victoria, 
Katoornba,  Boaroolong,  the  Riverina  plain ;  the 
Darling  Downs,  in  Queensland.  But  local  informa- 
tion should  be  sought  and  local  aid  secured  before 
venturing  upon  such  a  change. 

Tasmania,  with  a  cooler,  moister,  and  more 
equable  climate  than  Australia,  is  resorted  to  by 
Australians  for  an  agreeable  and  wholesome  change. 
Hobart  Town  is  a  favourite  and  popular  summer 
resort. 

New  Zealand  has  a  climate  very  similar  to  our 
own,  and  has  practically  little  or  no  interest  as  a 
climatic  resort  for  the  ordinary  run  of  invalids. 

The  West  India  Islands,  most  of  them  situated 
within  the  tropics,  have  a  characteristic  warm,  humid, 
and  equable  climate,  which  has  been  reported  to  be 
very  beneficial  to  certain  forms  of  chronic  Bright' s 
disease,  as  the  action  of  the  skin  is  greatly  promoted 
by  the  moist  warmth  of  the  atmosphere,  while  its 
equability  provides  against  chills.  Cases  of  dry  and 
chronic  irritative  catarrh  of  the  larynx  and  bronchi 
are  also  soothed  and  relieved  by  the  sedative  climate. 
It  has,  however,  the  drawback  of  proving  very 
relaxing  to  many,  causing  loss  of  appetite,  and  not 


THE     WEST     INDIES.  711 

rarely  producing  chronic  diarrhoea  ;  while  the  fre- 
quent presence  of  endemic  disease,  in  some  of  these 
islands,  naturally  makes  physicians  hesitate  to  recom- 
mend them  as  winter  resorts.  Moreover,  furious 
hurricanes  occasionally  occur,  and  in  some  of  the 
islands  volcanic  activity,  at  times,  becomes  alarming. 

The  English  island  of  Jamaica,  with  Kingston 
for  its  capital,  affords  an  attractive  residence,  especi- 
ally at  a  distance  from  the  sea.  at  an  elevation  of 
1,000  feet  (Gordontours)  or  2,000  feet  (Mandeville) 
above  the  sea ;  and  higher  and  cooler  resorts  can  be 
found  (Newcastle,  4,000  feet).  The  rainfall  is  large, 
55  inches  being  the  annual  average.  The  dryest  and 
best  season  to  visit  the  island  is  from  the  middle  of 
December  to  May. 

Barbados  is  perhaps  the  most  attractive  and 
suitable  resort  for  the  English  invalid.  It  resembles 
Jamaica  in  climate,  but,  unlike  it,  it  has  no  high 
mountains.  The  mean  annual  rainfall  is  large,  57 
inches,  but  from  December  to  May  is  a  fairly  dry 
season,  and  is  the  best  for  visitors  from  the  north. 
Barbados  is  usually  free  from  endemic  disease,  and 
is  well  looked  after  from  a  sanitary  point  of  view. 
Many  of  the  other  islands  are  very  picturesque  and 
beautiful,  but  they  have  no  interest  for  us  as  health 
resorts  for  invalids. 

Nassau,  the  capital  of  the  Bahamas,  is  frequented 
as  a  winter  resort  chiefly  by  Americans.  It  lies  to  the 
east  of  Florida,  and  is  easily  reached  by  steamer 
from  the  mainland,  from  which  it  is  distant 
about  200  miles.  Nassau  has  a  warm,  moist, 
equable  climate,  resembling  somewhat  the  climate 
of  Madeira.  It  has  a  good  reputation  for  health- 
fulness,  and  possesses  good  hotel  accommodation. 
In  \vinter  the  relative  humidity  is  83  per  cent.,  and 
the  mean  annual  rainfall  is  56  inches.  Its  warm, 
moist,  sedative  climate  suits  some  convalescents  from 
acute  disease,  and  cases  of  irritative  laryngeal  and 
bronchial  catarrh  ;  but  it  is  too  relaxing  for  the  tuber- 
culous and  too  damp  for  the  rheumatic, 


;i2      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Bermuda  (Great  Bermuda)  has  very  much  the 
same  climatic  characters  as  Nassau  ;  but,  being  a 
British  naval  station,  it  has  also  social  attractions.  It  is 
rather  cooler  and  less  humid  than  Nassau.  Its  climate 
has  been  thought  suitable  to  excitable,  nervous  con- 
valescents, to  irritable  neurasthenics,  to  cases  of 
chronic  nephritis,  of  dry  bronchitis,  and  to  cases  of 
pneumonia. 

The  last  of  these  distant  resorts  which  we  shall 
now  refer  to,  and  which  are  of  interest  to  European 
invalids,  is  that  favoured  portion  of  the  Pacific 
coast  of  the  United  States  which  belongs  to  Southern 
California.  This  coast,  with  the  portion  of  the 
"Pacific  slope"  lying  directly  behind  it,  possesses 
one  of  the  most  genial  and  equable  climates  in 
the  world.  It  is  under  the  influence  of  a  warm 
ocean  current  from  Japan,  and  ranges  of  high  moun- 
tains form  its  northern  boundary,  the  land  sloping 
gradually  down  from  these  to  the  ocean.  It  has 
mild  winters  and  relatively  cool  summers,  without 
extremes  either  of  heat  or  cold.  In  the  northern 
regions  of  this  coast  the  atmosphere  is  humid  and  the 
rainfall  is  considerable,  but  this  diminishes  as  we  pass 
southwards,  and  there  is  a  great  difference  between 
the  climate  of  the  towns  on  the  northern  part  of  the 
coast  and  that  of  the  resorts  to  the  south.  The 
following  are  the  chief  of  these  : — 

San  Diego  and  Coronado  Beach  is  situated  at 
the  extreme  south-western  corner  of  California. 
It  has  an  attractive  winter  climate,  warm  and 
relatively  dry.  In  January,  the  coldest  month,  the 
mean  maximum  temperature  is  66°  F.,  and  the  mean 
minimum  is  35°  F.  There  are  a  great  number  ot 
clear  days,  but  fogs  are  apt  to  appear  in  April  and 
May.  The  rainfall  is  small,  only  12  inches  in  the 
year.  Summer  is  the  dry  season,  but  the  temperature 
is  rarely  very  high,  the  mean  maximum  in,  July  being 
84°  F.  Good  hotel  accommodation  is  to  be  had  at 
Coronado,  where  there  is  also  a  good  sanatorium. 


SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA.  713 

Sea  bathing  is  pleasant  during  nearly  the  whole  year. 
There  are  suitable  mountain  resorts  for  camping  out 
close  at  hand. 

Avalon,  the  chief  place  in  Santa  Catalina  Island, 
twenty-three  miles  from  the  mainland  of  California,  is 
a  popular  and  attractive  winter  resort  suited  for  an 
out-of-door  life,  and  well  adapted  to  chronic  bronchial 
and  renal  cases,  and  to  those  of  general  debility. 

Los  Angeles,  300  feet  above  the  sea,  and  fourteen 
miles  from  the  Pacific  coast,  is  a  large  town  123  miles 
from  San  Diego.  It  has  a  wet  winter  and  a  dry  summer 
climate,  but  there  are  a  great  number  of  fine  days 
between  November  and  May.  There  are  fogs  in 
spring  and  autumn ;  some  doubts  have  bcien  ex- 
pressed as  to  the  sanitary  state  of  the  city,  and 
the  influence  of  the  climate  in  cases  of  advanced 
phthisis  has  not  been  favourable.  Pasadena, 
nine  miles  from  Los  Angeles,  at  an  elevation  of 
800  to  1,000  feet,  is  said  to  be  a  much  better 
winter  resort  for  invalids.  Santa  Monica  and  Long 
Beach  are  suitable  sea-bathing  resorts  on  the  adjacent 
coast. 

Santa  Barbara  is  resorted  to  in  both  winter  and 
summer  on  account  of  its  mild  and  remarkably  equable 
climate.  Roses  bloom  and  strawberries  ripen,  out  of 
doors,  all  the  year  round.  A  fair  idea  of  the  great 
equability  of  its  climate  may  be  gained  by  comparing 
its  mean  temperature  in  January  (63°  F.  at  2  p.m., 
52°  F.  at  9  p.m.),  and  in  July  (78°  F.  at  2  p.m.,  65°  F. 
at  9  p.m.).  Fogs  in  the  early  morning  in  the  summer 
are  not  unusual.  Its  relative  humidity  is  69  to  71 
per  cent.  Open  to  the  south,  it  is  well  protected 
to  the  north.  It  enjoys  light  breezes  from  the  sea  by 
day,  and  breezes  from  the  mountains  by  night.  The 
mean  annual  rainfall  is  18  inches,  but  it  is  very 
variable,  ranging  from  4^  to  35  inches.  As  a  rule 
there  is  no  rain  between  April  and  November. 
Santa  Barbara  has  good  accommodation  for  visitors, 
with  great  social  advantages.  There  are  hot  sulphur 
springs.  It  has  been  described  as  "  a  safe  and 


;i4      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

delightful  refuge  for  old  and  young." *  Its  climate 
is  especially  favourable  to  chronic  pulmonary  and 
bronchitic  cases,  and  to  cases  of  chronic  nephritis. 

At  Idyll-wild,  at  an  elevation  of  5,200  feet  above 
the  sea,  in  the  mountains,  about  sixty  miles  from  the 
Pacific  coast,  a  sanatorium  for  consumptives  has  been 
established  "  in  an  ideal  situation."  Its  elevation  is 
the  same  as  that  of  Davos  Platz,  but  it  "  has  a  great 
advantage  in  the  fact  that  out-of-door  occupation 
is  available  340  days  in  the  year."  The  air  is  dry 
and  pure,  and  .not  unpleasantly  hot  in  summer.  The 
temperature  only  occasionally  falls  below  freezing 
point  in  winter.  It  is  reached  by  the  Santa  Fe 
railroad,  t 

The  only  other  South  California!!  resort  that  need 
be  mentioned  here  is  Monterey,  beautifully  situated 
on  the  bay  of  that  name,  125  miles  south  of  San 
Francisco.  It  has  a  sedative,  equable  climate,  and 
outdoor  life  is  agreeable  all  the  year  round.  Accom- 
modation for  invalids  is  good.  It  is  a  resort 
especially  recommended  in  cases  of  nervous  debility 
and  exhaustion,  neurasthenia  and  insomnia.  It  is 
not,  however,  well  suited  to  consumptive  invalids. 

The  advantage  of  these  South  Californian  resorts 
to  European  invalids  of  a  certain  type — young 
persons  requiring  occupation  in  a  genial  and 
suitable  climate — is  that  they  afford  a  means  of 
obtaining  a  livelihood  to  those  who  are  industrious, 
and  who  can  devote  a  certain  amount  of  capital 
to  fruit  growing  and  other  agricultural  pursuits. 

*  Cohen's  System  of  Ph\Tsiologic  Therapeutics. 
f  ibid. 


CHAPTER    X. 

THE   APPLICATION  AND  SELECTION  OF   CLIMATES. 
.    TREATMENT   IN   SANATORIA. 

IN  our  account  of  particular  climatic  resorts  we  have 
pointed  out,  especially  in  the  more  important,  the 
kind  of  cases  for  the  treatment  of  which  they  are 
appropriate  ;  we  must  now  indicate  very  briefly,  in  a 
general  sense,  the  kind  of  climatic  resorts  suited  to 
particular  maladies. 

As  in  treatment  by  mineral  springs,  treatment 
by  climate  is  only  applicable  to  cases  of  chronic 
disease,  and  to  a  certain  number  only  of  these ; 
and  in  incurable  forms  of  chronic  disease  we  must 
be  on  our  guard  how  we  yield  to  the  pressure 
of  patients  and  their  friends  to  send  cases  on  long 
journeys  in  search  of  a  doubtful  remedy ;  such 
journeys  can  only  be  attended  with  disappointment 
and  distress. 

We  should  also  keep  in  view  the  fact  that  the 
usefulness  of  particular  climates  is  liable  to  be 
seriously  modified  and  disturbed  by  the  uncertainties 
of  weather,  and  that  in  our  statements  and  recom- 
mendations with  regard  to  particular  places,  we  can 
only  rely  on  averages,  and  cannot  be  responsible  for 
particular  seasons,  any  more  than  the  captain  of  a 
ship  can  be  accountable  for  storms  at  sea  !  There  is 
almost  always,  therefore,  an  element  of  risk  in  change 
of  climate.  But  in  some  cases  more  than  others,  very 
much  of  that  risk  can  be  eliminated  by  proper  care 
and  caution  ;  and  we  may  repeat  here  what  we  have 
said  elsewhere  that  "  it  is  possible  to  make  good  use 
of  a  bad  climate  and  bad  use  of  a  good  one,"  and,  in 
the  case  of  consumptive  invalids,  that  "  care  without 
climate  is  more  important  than  climate  without  care." 


716      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Diseases  of  the  respiratory  organs,  and  especially 
-bnlmonary  consumption,  have  always  been  regarded 
as  especially  benefited  by  climatic  treatment,  but  of 
late  years  it  has  become  more  and  more  evident  that 
climatic  influences  afford  an  important  auxiliary  factor 
in  the  restoration  or  maintenance  of  health  in  many 
other  maladies  ;  still  the  climatic  treatment  of  so 
widely  spread  a  disease  as  phthisis  will  always  be  of 
predominant  interest  and  claim  our  first  consideration. 

The  following  is  extracted  from  the  address  we 
had  the  honour  of  giving  at  the  British  Congress  on 
Tuberculosis  (July,  1901),  on  the  Climatic  Treatment 
of  Consumption.* 

The  objects  of  treatment  by  climate  in  cases  or 
pulmonary  tuberculosis  are  the  following  : 

(a)  To    arrest    catarrhal    conditions    of   the   air 
passages. 

(b)  To  improve  nervous  and  circulatory  tone. 

(cj  To  increase  the  activity  of  the  digestive 
functions,  and  thus  stimulate  nutrition  by  promoting 
the  desire  and  increasing  the  power  to  take  exercise. 

(d)  To  raise  the  moral  tone — by  no  means  an 
unimportant  matter — by  affording  a  clear,  bright,  and 
cheerful  environment. 

(e)  To  diminish  by  its  asepticity  bacterial  activity. 
It  must  be  a  question  for  consideration  whether 

so-called  "  open-air  treatment,"  without  regard  to 
suitable  climatic  conditions,  will  do  all  this.  It 
should  be  our  object  when  practicable  to  place  the 
consumptive  patient  under  conditions  and  in  cir- 
sumstances  where,  without  risk  or  injury,  he  may 
obtain  the  most  complete  and  perfect  aeration  of  the 
lungs  possible. 

If  you  place  a  feeble  catarrhal  patient  in  the  open 
air  in  a  damp  and  cold  climate,  you  will  risk  an 
increase  of  the  catarrh,  and  this  will  diminish  pul- 
monary aeration  by  blocking  up  the  air  passages. 
The  modern  " open-air"  treatment  is  only  "new"  in 
its  manner  of  carrying  out  this  idea  of  hyperaeration 
*  Transactions  of  the  British  Congress  on  Tuberculosis. 


PULMONARY  CONSUMPTION.  717 

of  the  diseased  lungs,  and  we  must  be  especially 
careful,  in  applying  it,  to  avoid  the  risk  of  aggravating 
catarrhal  conditions.  This  has  now  been  fully  ad- 
mitted by  some  of  the  most  strenuous  advocates  of 
open-air  treatment  per  se. 

The  recommendation  of  a  long  sea  voyage  as  a 
cure  for  phthisis  doubtless  had  its  origin  in  the  idea 
of  pulmonary  hyperaeration.  It  was  an  early  form 
of  "  open-air  "  treatment,  but  with  grave  drawbacks 
and  risks  to  which  we  have  already  referred.* 

It  may  be  interesting  to  mention  that,  between 
two  and  three  centuries  ago,  Sydenham  seems  to  have 
had  in  his  mind  also  this  same  idea  of  hyperaeration 
of  the  lungs  in  the  treatment  of  consumption.  He 
says,  in  "  A  Short  Treatise  of  Consumption"  : 

"  The  best  remedy  hitherto  discovered  ...  is  riding  suffi- 
ciently long  journeys  on  horseback,  provided  this  exercise  be 
long  enough  continued.  .  .  .  For,  in  reality,  the  Peruvian  bark 
is  not  more  certainly  curative  of  an  intermittent  fever  than 
riding  is  of  consumption." 

And  again  : 

"  But  the  principal  assistant  in  the  cure  of  this  disease  is 
riding  on  horseback  every  day,  insomuch  that  whoever  has 
recourse  to  this  exercise  in  order  to  his  cure,  need  not  be  tied 
down  to  observe  any  rules  in  point  of  diet,  nor  be  debarred  of 
any  kind  of  solid  or  liquid  aliment,  as  the  cure  depends  wholly 
upon  exercise." 

Sydenham,  in  recognising,  in  the  treatment  of 
phthisis,  the  value  of  increasing  pulmonary  aeration, 
by  long-continued  horse  exercise,  clearly  anticipated 
the  modern  idea  of  open-air  treatment  of  this 
disease. 

Now  climatic  treatment  is  essentially  "  open-air  " 
treatment  ;  and  the  appropriate  selection  of  a  climate 
must  depend  on  the  suitability  of  that  climate  to 
open-air  life  in  the  particular  cases  we  have  to  deal 
with. 

*  Sec  chapter  on  Sea  Voyages,  p.  697. 


/i8      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

It  is  difficult  to  establish  any  precise  and  rigid 
classification  of  the  cases  best  suited  to  particular 
places,  because  in  many  cases,  and  especially  in  very 
early  cases,  and  in-  quiescent  chronic  cases,  with  a 
limited  area  of  local  disease,  the  patients  will  do  well 
and  obtain  arrest  of  the  disease  in  a  variety  of  places 
with  somewhat  different  climatic  conditions. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  arrests  of  phthisis  we 
have  ever  seen  in  an  advanced  stage— that  is,  with  a 
considerable  area  of  consolidation  and  excavation  in 
the  upper  lobe  of  the  left  lung — occurred  in  London. 

In  another  of  the  best  results  we  have  ever  seen, 
in  a  case  in  a  fairly  advanced  stage,  the  patient  never 
went  further  from  home  than  Hastings.  The  disease 
in  the  lungs  has  been  arrested  for  some  years. 

Another  advanced  case  that  we  have  watched  for 
many  years  has  done  well  in  a  variety  of  places  ; 
she  has  wintered  on  the  Riviera,  in  Algiers,  in  South 
Africa,  at  Orotava,  at  Montreux,  at  Cairo  ;  but  she 
will  not  go  where  she  cannot  get  social  entertain- 
ment, and  for  that  reason  she  prefers  Egypt. 

These  instances  show  how  difficult  it  sometimes 
is  to  draw  minute  and  precise  conclusions  as  to  the 
suitability  of  different  places,  from  the  results  observed 
in  individual  cases.  Many  chronic  stationary  cases, 
with  fair  general  health,  travel  about  to  different 
winter  resorts  in  successive  seasons  and  appear  to 
benefit  more  or  less  in  all. 

All  are  agreed  that  early  cases  with  a  very 
limited  area  of  local  disease,  with  little  or  no  fever, 
with  integrity  of  the  digestive  functions,  and  in  young 
and  otherwise  healthy  adults,  do  well,  and  are  fre- 
quently cured,  in  a  variety  of  climates,  provided  they 
live  a  perfectly  hygienic,  open-air  life.  They  recover 
probably  more  speedily  in  altitude  climates  than  else- 
where. 

There  is  also  a  general  agreement  that  decidedly 
advanced  dyspnceic  cases  should  not,  as  a  rule,  be 
sent  far  from  home,  more  especially  if  there  is  any 
pyrexia.  It  will,  however,  occasionally  happen  that 


PULMONARY    CONSUMPTION.  719 

such  patients  amongst  the  upper  classes  insist  on 
change  and  get  very  restless  at  home,  and  they  often 
rally  a  little  on  removal  to  some  bright  resort. 

Of  climates  in  which  we  have  known  distinct 
benefit  follow,  in  such  advanced  chronic  cases,  we 
would  especially  cite  Madeira  and  Malaga.  These 
advanced  cases  are  generally  associated  with  bronchial 
catarrh,  and  the  warm,  equable,  and  moist  climate  of 
these  places  soothe  the  cough,  favour  expectoration, 
and  allow  of  the  patient  being  much  in  the  open 
air. 

The  idea  that  formerly  prevailed  that  a  warm, 
moist,  and  equable  climate  was  the  best  for  con- 
sumptives had  a  certain  foundation  in  the  suitability 
of  such  climates  to  the  advanced  catarrhal  cases. 
There  was  little  idea  of  cure  associated  with  these 
climates,  because  consumption  was  then  regarded  as 
incurable,  but  it  was  thought  that  they  prolonged 
life,  and  made  the  slow  process  of  dying  less  painful. 

The  quality  of  equability  in  a  climate  was  at  one 
time  greatly  over-rated.  Indeed,  we  nowadays  avoid 
an  equable  climate  when  seeking  a  cure  for  early 
cases  of  pulmonary  tuberculosis.  We  rather  choose  a 
climate  with  a  very  wide  diurnal  range  of  temperature, 
if  it  is  a  dry  climate,  as  the  Engadine  or  the  desert 
climate  in  Egypt. 

Wide  diurnal  variations  of  temperature  exert  a 
bracing,  invigorating,  tonic  effect,  especially  when 
they  follow  a  certain  regularity.  What  renders  our 
own  climate  so  very  trying  at  times  is  that,  although 
very  variable,  the  variations  of  temperature  follow 
no  regularity.  We  get  a  week  or  ten  days  of  very 
cold,  fine,  dry  weather,  and  then,  just  as  the  organism 
is  adapting  itself  to  the  dry  external  cold,  it  changes, 
and  we  get  a  spell  of  moist,  wet,  south-westerly 
winds,  to  be  followed,  after  a  few  days,  by  a  return 
of  severely  cold  weather  ;  and  so  on.  It  is  on  this 
account  that  our  climate  can  never  be  well  suited 
to  the  out-of-door  treatment  of  cases  of  catarrhal 
phthisis. 


720      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

There  is  no  great  difficulty  in  deciding  what  to  do 
with  cases  at  the  very  onset ;  we  must  be  greatly 
influenced  by  questions  of  age,  sex,  temperament, 
occupation,  social  conditions,  and  constitutional 
tendency.  Such  cases  will  get  well  in  a  variety  of 
places  with  careful  management. 

Nor  is  there  much  room  for  hesitation  as  to  what 
course  is  best  to  follow  in  decidedly  advanced  cases. 
The  progressive  febrile  cases  are  best  in  bed  with  an 
abundant  supply  of  fresh  air.  It  is  the  moderately 
advanced  case  that  calls  for  careful  discrimination,  and 
is  the  most  difficult  to  decide  about. 

It  is  now  that  the  question  of  constitutional 
tendency  comes  into  the  foreground.  Tuberculosis 
being  an  infective  disease  attended  with  greater  or 
less  dissemination  of  toxic  substances  throughout  the 
organism,  we  find,  as  we  do  with  the  attacks  of  other 
infective  microbes,  varying  degrees  of  reaction,  of 
susceptibility,  or  infectibility,  in  different  types  of 
constitution. 

It  has  been  thought  that  the  gouty  constitution 
is  antagonistic  to  tuberculous  infection.  Our  impres- 
sion is  that  the  rheumatic  constitution  is  so  also,  and 
that  the  latter  is  especially  prone  to  develop  the 
slow,  fibroid,  pleurogenic  form  of  phthisis. 

This  form  is  not,  in  our  opinion,  well  suited  to 
altitude  climates.  These  cases  do  best  in  a  warm 
and  dry  climate,  such  as  the  more  protected  resorts 
of  the  Riviera  and  the  desert  climate,  as  in  Upper 
Egypt  or  Biskra.  Setting  aside  this  group,  the  high 
mountain  resorts  have  doubtless  the  widest  range  of 
applicability  to  moderately  advanced  cases.  There 
are,  however,  certain  other  cases  that  do  not  improve 
in  these  resorts.  Early  or  moderately  advanced 
cases,  with  manifest  cachexia,  gastric  disturbance, 
and  more  or  less  fever,  do  not  do  well  in  these  or,  as 
far  as  we  are  aware,  in  other  resorts.  A  mild  marine 
climate  perhaps  suits  these  cachectic  cases  best. 

Cases  with  laryngeal  or  intestinal  complications 
should  not  be  sent  to  the  mountains. 


PULMONARY    CONSUMPTION.  721 

Cases  of  much  emphysema  complicating  tuber- 
culous infiltration,  or  tubercle  invading  emphyse- 
matous  lungs  will  perhaps  express  better  what  we 
mean,  are  unsuited  to  altitude  resorts.  Cases  of  this 
latter  group  are  prone  to  attacks  of  almost  continuous 
and  peculiarly  uncontrollable  haemorrhage,  and  are 
most  unpromising.  As  might  be  expected,  cases 
with  renal  complication  do  not  do  well  in  the 
mountains,  and  if  in  such  resorts  albuminuria  makes 
its  appearance  the  patient  should  be  removed  to  a 
warmer  climate. 

A  peculiar  sensitiveness  to  cold  is  a  very  decided 
drawback  to  wintering  in  the  mountains  ;  for  although 
the  patient  may  be  mending,  so  far  as  the  local 
disease  is  concerned,  he  or  she  is  always  depressed 
and  unhappy. 

In  our  own  country,  in  which  sanatorium  treat- 
ment is  becoming  justly  popular,  we  must  seek  for 
localities  in  which  the  worst  characteristics  of  our 
changeable,  insular  climate  are  least  felt,  and  where 
we  can  profit  by  what  is  best  in  it. 

We  have  to  consider  the  prevalence  of  fog  and 
mist  in  many  low-lying  localities,  the  exposure  to 
north-east  and  easterly  winds  in  some,  and  to  wet 
south-westerly  gales  in  others. 

What  the  consumptive  patient  most  needs,  for  his 
cure,  is  a  combination  of  climate  and  sanatorium 
treatment.  . 

The  gains  to  be  obtained  from  a  suitable  climate 
in  cases  of  consumption  are  these  :— 

(a)  It  relieves   or  removes   catarrhal   conditions 
accompanying  the  disease  in  a  number  of  cases. 

(b)  It  raises  nervous  and  vascular  tone. 

(c)  It  increases  muscular  energy  and  the  ability 
as  well  as  the  desire  for  exercise. 

(d)  By  rendering  an  open-air  life  possible,  it  in- 
creases the  aeration  of  the  lungs  and  diminishes  the 
activity  of  bacterial  agencies,  one  of  the  most  essential 
conditions  of  arrest  and  cure  of  the  disease. 

(e)  It  improves  the  tone  and  promotes  the  activity 


722'     CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

of  the  digestive  functions,  and  so  enables  the  patient 
to  take  the  large  amount  of  food  which  is  needed  to 
heighten  his  state  of  nutrition. 

(/)  And,  finally,  it  improves  the  moral  and 
mental  state  by  surrounding  the  patient  with  a 
bright,  cheerful,  and  hopeful  environment. 

Next  as  to  the  selection  of  climates  for  different 
cases  : 

1.  Cases  seen  at  the  very  commencement  of  the 
disease,  and  who  are  otherwise  in  good  health,  may 
be  permitted  a  certain  amount  of  choice  in  the  selec- 
tion of  a  climate,  provided  it  allows  of  many  hours 
being  spent  daily- in  the  open  air,  and  that  they  are 
placed    under    admittedly   hygienic    conditions.     A 
choice  may  be  made  from  climates  of  altitude,  the 
desert  climate,  the  inland  plateaux  of  South  Africa, 
the  sea  voyage  for  those  with  a  decided  liking  for  the 
sea,  and  suitably  placed  sanatoria. 

2.  For  progressive  febrile  cases,  repose  in  bed  or 
on  a  couch  at  home,  in  the  best  conditions  practicable 
for  the  free  access  of  air  and  sunshine  to  their  apart- 
ments. 

3.  For  advanced  cases  home  is  best,  if  the  condi- 
tions of  home  life  are  favourable,  or  the  warm  marine 
climates,  with  cheerful  surroundings,  if  home  life  is  un- 
favourable or  change  is  urgently  desired. 

4.  For  catarrhal  cases  warm,   soothing  climates 
like  Madeira  or  Teneriffe  are  best. 

5.  Foi  rheumatic  or  gouty  cases  of  the  fibroid  or 
pleurogenic  type,  dry,  marine  climates  or  the  desert 
climate  are  most  suitable. 

6.  For  the   so-called  "  scrofulous   cases,"    if  free 
from  catarrh,  fairly  bracing  marine  climates  ;  if  with 
catarrh,  mild  marine  climates  should  be  prescribed. 

7.  For   most  other  moderately    advanced    cases, 
with  the  limitations  already  mentioned,  the  climate 
of  the  high  mountains,  above  the  cloud  belt,  is  the 
most  curative. 

Chronic  Bronchial  and  Laryngeal  Catarrh ; 
Pulmonary  Emphysema. — Chronic  catarrhs  of  the 


BRONCHIAL   CATARRH.  723 

respiratory  mucous  membrane  are  greatly  under  the 
influence  of  climatic  conditions. 

We  do  not  share  the  view  that  the  cold  dry  air 
of  high  mountain  valleys  is  useful,  even  in  young 
subjects,  who  are  actually  the  subjects  of  these 
catarrhal  conditions  ;  but  we  think  them  of  great 
value  in  the  intervals  between  the  attacks,  or,  when 
an  attack  has  passed  away,  as  a  preventive  of  the 
tendency  to  them.  In  such  cases  the  influence  of 
the  mountain  climate  should  be  sought  in  the  summer, 
and,  if  things  go  well,  the  residence  might  be  pro- 
longed into  the  winter.  We  have  known  cases  in 
which  a  period  of  five  or  six  weeks,  in  summer  and 
autumn,  spent  in  the  Engadine,  for  several  years  in 
succession,  has,  by  its  bracing  and  tonic  influence, 
quite  removed  this  tendency  to  catarrhal  attacks. 
But  in  elderly  and  feeble  subjects  the  mountain 
climate  should  never  be  prescribed  for  these  affec- 
tions, for  they  are  then  very  frequently  accompanied 
by  pulmonary  emphysema  and  dilated  right  heart, 
and  sometimes  by  much  dyspnoea  on  exertion,  which 
the  rarefied  air  of  these  elevations  greatly  aggravates. 
Such  patients  also  want  level  walks  if  they  are  to 
take  any  walking  exercise.  The  slightest  ascent  will 
often  cause  them  much  uneasiness. 

If  the  case  is  one  of  "  dry  "  catarrh  and  in  a  gouty 
subject,  a  warm,  rather  moist,"  equable,  sedative  climate, 
of  which  Madeira  may  be  taken  as  a  type,  is  the  best. 
But  Madeira  or  the  Canaries  are  too  far  off  for  most 
patients,  and  we  have  to  be  content  with  something 
less  perfect.  Algiers,  Palermo,  Malaga,  Ajaccio,  are 
also  far  off,  but  suitable.  Pau  is  a  rather  uncertain 
climate,  and  Biarritz  is  often  very  windy.  Arcachon 
suits  some,  but  a  warmer  climate  is  more  advantageous. 
In  this  country  the  moist  climate  of  Penzance,  Fal- 
mouth,  or  Torquay  is  the  best. 

For  those  cases  with  much  expectoration  it  is 
better  to  choose  a  warm,  dry  winter  climate,  such  as 
Egypt  and  the  resorts  of  the  Riviera  (the  Austrians 
use  also  Meran  and  Arco  in  such  cases).  The  Riviera 


724      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

resorts  are  very  useful  when  proper  precautions  are 
taken  to  avoid  the  chill  of  the  late  afternoon.  The 
bronchitic  patient,  in  the  short  days  of  winter  on  the 
Riviera,  should  be  within  doors  by  three  in  the  after- 
noon. There  is  also  a  certain  range  of  climate  to 
choose  from  in  that  region — the  climate  of  Bordighera 
and  San  Remo  is  more  sedative  and  less  exciting  than 
that  of  Cannes  and  Nice.  Cimiez  and  Cannet  are 
more  tonic  than  Beaulieu  or  Mentone,  where  much 
warmth  may  be  found,  especially  in  the  eastern  bay 
of  Mentone.  Hyeres  and  Costebelle  are  more  seda- 
tive than  some  of  the  resorts  further  east.  At  Nice 
cases  of  chronic  bronchitis  and  emphysema  can  also 
obtain  treatment  at  a  well-arranged  inhalatorium, 
under  the  skilful  direction  of  Mons.  Vos,  and  many 
patients  find  the  combination  of  inhalation  treatment 
with  the  climatic  influences  in  this  resort  of  great 
service.  Our  best  home  resorts  for  these  cases  are 
Hastings,  Ventnor,  Bournemouth,  and  Sidmouth. 
Cases  complicated  with  albuminuria,  however  slight, 
should  never  be  sent  to  the  mountains  ;  they  do  best 
in  Egypt  or  on  the  Riviera.  In  cases  in  which 
emphysema  is  the  predominating  condition,  Meran 
often  proves  a  useful  winter  resort,  where  pneumatic 
treatment  can  be  applied.  Its  climate  is  a  dry,  bright, 
but  cold  one.  The  same  kind  of  treatment  can  be  ob- 
tained at  Reichenhall  in  the  summer  and  autumn. 

The  foregoing  remarks  are  applicable  also,  to  a 
great  extent,  to  those  troublesome  cases  of  naso- 
pharyngeal  catarrh  so  common  in  some  families. 
In  young  subjects  we  should  place  rather  more  stress 
on  the  great  advantage  of  bracing  treatment  in  high 
altitude  stations,  as  a  preventive  measure  ;  and  in 
scrofulous  cases  the  advantage  of  a  long  sea  voyage 
carried  out  under  favourable  circumstances,  or, 
still  better,  a  series  of  sea  trips,  of  comparatively 
brief  duration,  in  sunny  seas,  may  prove  of  great 
value. 

We  are  not  sanguine  as  to  the  value  of  change  of 
climate  in  cases  of  bronchiectasis  ;  but  if  it  is  thought 


ASTHMA.  725 

desirable  to  try  its  effect,  the  same  climates  as  are 
suitable  for  chronic  bronchial  catarrh,  with  abundant 
expectoration,  should  be  chosen. 

Chronic  pleurisy,  adhesions  in  the  apical  regions, 
and  the  remains  of  pleuritic  effusions,  require  the 
same  climatic  treatment  in  cases  of  early  phthisis. 

Asthma. — The  purely  nervous  or  spasmodic  form 
of  asthma  is  extremely  capricious  in  its  behaviour  at 
different  places,  so  that  it  is  scarcely  possible  to 
predict,  without  previous  trial,  what  place  will  or  will 
not  suit  the  individual  patient.  It  is  not  quite  the 
same  with  the  catarrhal  form — the  cases  that  have 
followed  and  been  caused  by,  and  are  associated  with, 
attacks  of  bronchial  catarrh.  In  such  cases  a  primary 
condition  of  successful  treatment  is  to  select  a  climate 
in  which  the  catarrh  will  be  relieved. 

With  regard  to  the  first  group  of  cases,  if  the 
asthmatic  attacks  occur  in  young  people,  especially 
in  young  children,  the  climate  of  the  high  Alps  may 
afford  prospects  of  a  cure — Davos  and  St.  Moritz  are 
the  best  localities,  as  in  either  educational  advantages 
can  be  obtained.  It  is  advisable  for  the  patient  to 
begin  residence  in  the  summer  or  autumn,  and  con- 
tinue through  the  winter.  More  than  one  season 
will  usually  be  necessary. 

Adult  patients  and  patients  advanced  in  years, 
with  a  dry,  irritating  cough,  and  very  sensitive 
respiratory  mucous  membrane,  will  sometimes  be 
greatly  benefited  by  the  sedative,  warm  and  moist 
climate  of  Madeira,  especially  at  the  higher  resorts 
in  the  island,  or  by  the  somewhat  more  tonic  resorts 
of  Algiers,  Ajaccio,  Palermo,  or  even  Pau  and  Arca- 
chon  ;  in  England,  Torquay  or  Falmouth  or  Penzance 
may  be  tried.  Cases  with  profuse  expectoration  do 
better  in  the  dryer  climate  of  Egypt  or  the  Riviera. 
We  have  seen  some  excellent  results  from  a  winter  or 
two  at  Cannet  or  Cimiez — going  on  to  Grasse  in  the 
late  spring.  We  have  also  seen  remarkable  relief  of 
the  spasmodic  attacks  follow  a  change  from  London 
to  Folkestone.  Attempts  have  been  made  to  treat 


726      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

asthmatic  patients  advanced  in  life,  at  high  altitudes  ; 
but  inasmuch  as  in  all  these  cases  a  certain  amount  of 
pulmonary  emphysema  is  sure  to  exist,  the  attempts 
have  not  only  failed,  but,  in  some  instances,  have 
been  disastrous. 

Hay  asthma  and  hay  fever  require  a  marine 
climate  ;  such  cases  need  to  be  actually  on  the  sea, 
or  surrounded  by  sea,  on  a  small  rocky  island  with- 
out vegetation  ;  or  if  this  is  not  practicable,  to  be  on 
the  sea  coast  away  from  vegetation. 

Diseases  of  the  Circulatory  System. — The  climatic 
treatment  of  cardiac  affections  must  be  determined  to 
some  extent  by  individual  considerations  ;  especially 
as  to  age  and  condition,  the  extent  and  nature  of  the 
cardiac  lesions,  and  the  presence  or  absence  of  com- 
plications. 

The  cardiac  patient  requires  a  climate  free  from 
extremes — where  the  air  is  pure  and  invigorating  with- 
out being  either  cold,  dry  and  exciting,  or  hot,  moist, 
and  relaxing.  Shelter  Irom  cold  winds  is  desirable  ; 
plenty  of  sunshine,  and  as  dry  an  atmosphere  as  is 
compatible  with  a  certain  degree  of  equability.  If 
gastro-hepatic  troubles  complicate  the  case  it  is 
usually  best  to  avoid  the  seaside  and  choose  a  mildly 
bracing  inland  resort  at  a  moderate  elevation.  Near 
London  we  have  such  resorts  in  Tunbridge  Wells, 
Sevenoaks,  Crowborough,  Haslemere,  and,  at  a  greater 
distance,  Malvern.  The  possibility  of  a  variety  of  level 
walks  is  most  important  for  the  cardiac  patient. 

As  a  rule  it  is  not  advisable  to  send  cardiac  patients 
far  from  home — but  if  in  the  summer,  or  autumn, 
a  trip  to  Switzerland  or  the  Black  Forest  seems 
desirable,  places  of  quite  moderate  elevation  should 
be  chosen,  between  1,000  and  3,000  feet,  where  level 
walks  can  be  had,  as  Interlaken,  Glion,  Meiringen, 
Triberg,  Baden-Baden ;  and  younger  subjects  with  well 
compensated  mitral  lesions  may  go  higher — to  St. 
Beatenberg,  Les  Avants,  Engelberg  and  the  like. 
High  elevations  should  be  avoided  unless  in  quite 
exceptional  cases.  If  the  case  is  complicated  with 


DYSPEPSIA.  727 

bronchial  catarrh  and  a  tendency  to  emphysema,  great 
caution  must  be  observed  in  the  selection  of  a  winter 
climate.  Some  cases  of  this  kind  do  best  in  a  mild, 
equable  marine  climate,  or  in  the  more  protected 
resorts  on  the  Riviera,  as  Beaulieu,  Costebelle, 
Mentone,  or  Bordighera.  In  our  own  southern  coasts 
Hastings,  the  sheltered  part  of  Eastbourne  away  from 
the  sea,  West  Worthing,  Bournemouth,  Sidmouth,  and 
Torquay  present  suitable  winter  resorts  ;  the  object 
being  to  exercise  a  soothing  influence  on  the  irritable 
bronchial  mucous  membrane  and  to  promote,  by  sun- 
warmth,  the  circulation  in  the  skin,  and  so  relieve 
the  labour  of  the  heart. 

It  is  an  error  to  send  cardiac  cases  to  a  dry, 
exciting  climate  like  Egypt,  with  a  wide  diurnal 
range  of  temperature,  bringing  risk  of  chill. 

The  sedative  winter  climate  of  Pan  suits  some 
cases. 

The  cardiac  invalid  requires  in  summer  a  clear,  fresh 
atmosphere,  mildly  tonic  but  not  exciting,  and  in 
winter,  warmth,  sunshine,  and  protection  irom  chill. 
In  all  advanced  cases  a  restful  and  peaceful  entourage 
is  needful — for  these  rest  is  the  best  tonic. 

^Dyspepsia. — The  d)^speptic  can  scarcely  expect  to 
be  cured  by  climate,  but  there  are  certain  climates 
which  tend  to  aggravate  his  malady,  and  others  which 
help  to  remove  it. 

Change  per  se  and  the  distractions  of  travel 
often  prove  of  much  service  to  the  nervous  dyspeptic 
and  to  the  dyspeptic  whose  malady  has  been  aggra- 
vated, if  not  induced,  by  too  close  application  to 
business  or  study.  Climates  which  by  their  bracing 
air  and  attractive  scenery  provoke  to  active  exercise 
often  prove  most  valuable  and  remedial  resources  to 
this  class  of  invalid  ;  we  therefore  find  removal  from 
lowlands  to  mountain  regions  most  useful. 

Most  dyspeptics  complain  that  they  are  apt  to 
get  worse  at  the  seaside— to  become  "bilious,"  con- 
stipated, and  to  lose  appetite  and  become  depressed. 
This  is  more  particularly  the  case  with  coast  towns 


728      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

which  are  on  a  level  with  the  sea  and  have  what  is 
known  as  "  strong  "  sea  air.  If  the  visitors  can  live 
on  a  cliff,  high  above  the  sea,  as  at  Folkestone,  or  on 
high  ground  at  a  little  distance  from  the  sea,  as  at 
Eastbourne,  we  hear  less  of  these  complaints.  Such 
patients,  however,  are  better  at  bracing  inland  resorts, 
as  at  Hindhead  or  Crowborough  or  Malvern. 

If  there  is  a  tendency  to  hepatic  congestion  and 
haemorrhoids  these  patients  do  not  bear  well  the 
higher  mountain  stations,  and  should  not  go  beyond 
3,000  or  4,000  feet — Engelberg,  Grindelwald,  Cha- 
mounix  are  suitable. 

The  pleasant  sunny  resorts  of  the  French  Riviera 
often  agree  well  in  winter  with  many  dyspeptics  if 
they  choose  a  residence  removed  some  distance  from 
the  sea. 

Chronic  Nephritis. — Cases  of  chronic  Bright's 
disease,  that  are  well  enough  to  leave  home,  should 
seek  a  winter  climate  which  favours  a  Iree  circulation 
in  the  skin  and  increased  cutaneous  activity,  for  there 
is  a  close  relation  between  the  functions  of  the  kidneys 
and  those  of  the  skin.  Any  check  to  the  action  of 
the  skin  throws  additional  work  on  the  kidneys.  It 
is  usual  to  recommend  a  warm  and  dry  climate '  for 
such  cases  in  winter,  such  as  the  Egyptian  resorts — 
Mena,  Helouan,  Luxor,  Assouan — but  the  drawbacks 
to  this  kind  of  climate,  apart  from  its  distance  from 
home,  is  the  wide  daily  range  of  temperature  and  the 
risk  of  chill  to  the  surface  from  the  great  differences 
between  day  and  night  and  sun  and  shade  tempera- 
tures, so  that  constant  care  and  caution  to  avoid 
such  chill  are  needful ;  and  although  in  such  a  dry 
and  warm  climate  the  loss  of  water  from  the  skin  is 
promoted,  it  is  questionable  whether  the  solids  which 
should  be  got  rid  of  by  the  skin  are  excreted  in  the 
same  proportion.  It  will  be  found -that  climates 
which  are  more  equable,  if  not  quite  so  dry,  suit 
some  cases  better — as  the  warmest  of  the  Riviera 
resorts  :  Mentone,  Beaulieu,  Bordighera.  The  climate 
of  Algiers,  although  moister,  is  more  equable,  and 


CHRONIC     NEPHRITIS.  729 

cases  of  Bright' s  disease  do  fairly  well  there.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  Ajaccio  and  Palermo. 

In  America  the  extremely  equable  coast  resorts 
of  Southern  California— especially  Passadena  and 
Monterey — have  been  found  to  provide  a  very 
suitable  winter  climate  for  cases  of  chronic  ne- 
phritis. 

We  have  known  such  cases  do  extremely  well  at 
Madeira,  and  their  lives  have  appeared  to  be  greatly 
prolonged  by  passing  the  winter  in  that  island, 
although,  as  is  well  known,  its  climate  is  not  a  dry 
one.  The  dryer  climate  of  the  Canary  Islands 
should  answer  still  better.  We  have  been  assured, 
on  good  authority,  that  the  warm,  equable,  though 
moist  climate  of  the  West  Indies  has  been  found  to 
suit  some  forms  of  Bright' s  disease  particularly  well. 
At  Barbados,  between  December  and  May,  there  is 
very  little  rain,  and  the  mean  relative  humidity  is 
only  72  per  cent.  The  skin  appears  to  act  very  freely 
in  those  warm  and  rather  moist  climates.  The 
prevalence  of  cold  winds  is  one  of  the  most 
prejudicial  conditions  for  sufferers  from  renal  disease, 
and  patients  who  cannot  leave  England  should  choose 
a  residence  protected  as  'much  as  possible  from 
them — Bournemouth,  Sidmouth,  Torquay,  Salcombe, 
Falmouth — a  sheltered  spot  in  either  of  these 
localities  would  be  suitable.  It  is  desirable,  in  these 
cases,  to  consider  the  patient's  experience  as  to  the 
effect  of  different  climates  upon  him,  as  some  find  a 
warm,  sedative  climate  suits  them,  but  others  a  dry, 
stimulating  one. 

In  cases  of  Chronic  Pyelitis  and  cases  of  Chronic 
Vesical  Catarrh  the  climatic  indications  are  identical 
with  the  foregoing,  but  much  must  not  be  expected 
from  climate  alone  in  these  cases ;  the  avoidance, 
however,  of  a  cold,  windy,  and  damp  atmosphere  in 
winter  is  an  undoubted  advantage.  The  usefulness 
of  a  diet  consisting  greatly  of  milk,  in  those  maladies, 
must  not  be  overlooked,  and,  in  the  summer,  resort 
may  be  had  to  one  of  the  numerous  subalpine 


730      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

stations  in  Switzerland,  the  Tyrol,  or  the  Black  Forest, 
where  the  milk  cure  is  carried  out. 

Nervous  Affections,  Nervous  Exhaustion  or 
Neurasthenia,  Nervous  Irritability  and  Depression, 
Hysteria,  Neuritis,  and  Neuralgia  from  Nervous 
Exhaustion,  Tabes  Dorsalis,  Graves  Disease. — 
We  have  here  grouped  together  a  number  of 
diseases  of  the  nervous  system  which  admit,  in  vary- 
ing degrees,  of  beneficial  treatment  by  change  of 
climate.  In  some  of  these  conditions,  in  which 
morbid  mental  states  are  prominent,  as  unhealthy 
habits  of  introspection  and  self-regard,  undue  anxiety  ' 
and  unfounded  apprehensions,  often  leading  to 
insomnia,  also  tendencies  to  hysterical  manifestations 
— all  these  states  are  often  favourably,  affected  by 
removal  from  home  influences  and  the  habitual 
environment,  and  their  replacement  by  the  occupa- 
tions and  interests  which  travel  affords  in  bright, 
sunny,  and  tonic  climates,  with  cheerful  social 
surroundings  and  objects  of  artistic,  historic,  and 
general  interest.  In  summer  and  autumn  we  may 
suggest  recourse  to  picturesque  mountain  and  lake 
regions  in  Switzerland,  Italy,  or  the  Tyrol,  or  a  yacht- 
ing cruise  in  the  Mediterranean  ;  in  the  winter  a  tour 
in  Egypt  or  Algiers,  or  visits  to  the  historic  cities  of 
Southern  Italy  and  Sicily.  When  expense  is  not  a 
consideration,  a  variety  of  interesting  and  health- 
giving  tours  can  be  devised.  A  less  costly,  but  a 
very  useful  expedient,  when  the  patients  are  active 
and  vigorous,  is  a  walking  tour  in  the  Swiss  moun- 
tains or  through  Normandy  and  Brittany,  with  con- 
genial companionship.  Inattention  to  social  con- 
siderations will  often  lead  to  the  failure  of  these 
measures,  for  the  class  of  patients  we  are  thinking 
of  are  particularly  sensitive  to  social  influences,  and 
an  uncongenial  or  unsuitable  environment  or  associa- 
tion will  undo  any  good  that  climatic  change  might 
otherwise  bring  about. 

Some  instances    and    examples    of   the   nervous 
maladies  we  have  enumerated  above  will  be  found  to 


NERVOUS     DISEASES.  731 

present  so  great  an  amount  of  nervous  and  muscular 
exhaustion  that  absolute  rest — a  "  rest  cure  "  in  short 
— is  needed  at  starting,  and  a  climate  must  be  chosen, 
dry,  sunny,  tonic,  and  cheerful,  where  the  patient 
may  recline  for  many  hours  daily  in  the  open  air. 
This  is  possible  in  sheltered  inland,  wooded  resorts 
in  England,  or  in  mountain  resorts  of  medium  eleva- 
tion in  the  Black  Forest,  Switzerland,  and  the  Tyrol. 
In  winter  the  warmer  and  more  sheltered  resorts 
of  the  Riviera,  or  for  some  cases  the  more  sedative 
climate  of  the  south-west  of  France,  as  Biarritz,  Pau, 
or  Arcachon,  may  be  selected. 

When  there  is  "  irritable  weakness "  ot  the 
nervous  system,  a  course  of  simple  thermal  baths  in 
a  cheerful  mountain  or  forest  region  often  proves 
very  serviceable — we  may  name  Gastein,  Bagneres- 
de-Bigorre,  Wildbad,  and  Schlangenbad.  Neuralgic 
cases  require  dry  warmth  in  winter,  and  tonic,  dry, 
mountain  air  in  summer,  but  not  too  cold. 

Neurasthenic  states,  especially  those  that  have 
been  induced  by  overwork  or  much  worry  and 
anxiety,  obtain  very  great  benefit  from  mountain 
resorts  where  they  can  get  "  glacier  air  "  in  summer 
(Pontresina,  Miirren,  Adelboden,  Grindelwald),  and 
from  the  Nile  voyage  in  a  dahabeeah  in  winter ; 
other  patients  who  are  fond  of  the  sea  may  take  a 
sea  voyage  to  India  or  to  the  Cape,  or  the  West 
Indies,  or  Brazil,  etc.,  according  to  the  season  of  the 
year,  but  the  patient's  tastes  and  wishes  should  be 
consulted,  as  it  is  most  undesirable  to  launch  such  a 
patient  upon  a  voyage  which  is  distasteful  to  him. 

Tabetic  cases  are  often  benefited  in  summer  by 
thermal  baths  in  the  stations  we  have  mentioned 
above  ;  and  in  winter  yachting  in  sunny  seas,  or  the 
Nile  voyage,  may  prove  of  service.  In  some  a  pro- 
longed sojourn  at  mountain  resorts  of  moderate 
elevation,  where  pleasant  level  walks  can  be  obtained, 
is  attended  with  improvement.  When  Insomnia 
accompanies  any  of  these  conditions  we  shall  usually 
have  to  avoid  all  exciting  climates,  all  resorts  close 


732      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

to  the  sea  coast,  and  choose  quiet,  sedative  resorts, 
sheltered  from  high  winds.  The  air  of  high  moun- 
tain valleys  proves  soothing  and  refreshing  to  some 
cases  ;  the  more  moderate  elevations  are  preferred  by 
others.  Each  case  must  be  dealt  with  according  to 
individual  peculiarities. 

Cases  of  Graves'  Disease  are  usually  more  benefited 
by  change  of  climate  than  by  any  other  kind  of 
treatment,  as  we  have  pointed  out  elsewhere.*  We 
have  seen  excellent  results  attend  removal  to,  and 
a  long  stay  in,  such  sedative  and  tonic  seaside 
resorts  as  Westgate,  Folkestone,  Hastings,  Brighton, 
or  other  similar  stations.  But  it  must  be  a  long 
stay,  usually  not  less  than  six  months.  Biarritz  is  a 
very  suitable  winter  resort.  Many  German  authori- 
ties prescribe  high  mountain  climates,  such  as  Davos 
and  the  Engadine.  Professor  Erb  says  he  has  "  seen 
excellent  results  "  from  a  residence  in  these  resorts. t 
Nothnagel,  Eulenberg,  and  H.  Weber  have  ex- 
pressed similar  opinions. 

Gouty  Rheumatism ,  Rheumatoid  Arthritis. — 
Sufferers  from  these  affections  require  similar  climatic 
treatment  They  are  all  influenced  unfavourably  by 
cold,  windy  and  damp  localities,  and  they  are  all 
benefited  by  residence  in  warm  and  dry  situations. 
Indeed  the  mere  removal  from  a  dwelling  on  a  damp 
clay  soil,  to  an  abode  on  a  dry  gravelly  one,  will 
make  a  great  difference  to  the  comfort  of  sufferers 
from  chronic  rheumatism.  These  cases  rarely  obtain 
any  benefit  from  our  sea-coast  resorts — unless 
from  the  dryer  and  warmer  ones  in  summer,  with 
residence  somewhat  removed  from  the  sea,  and  on  a 
dry  soil  above  the  sea  level.  Gouty  subjects  are  apt 
to  become  dyspeptic  and  bilious  in  what  is  known  as 
"  strong  "  sea  air,  and  for  rheumatic  subjects  most  of 
our  seaside  resorts  are  too  humid  or  too  windy. 

*  "  Manual  of  Medical  Treatment,"  New  Edition,  vol.  i., 
p.  489. 

t  "  Winter  Cures  in  the  High  Mountains." 


GOUT    AND    RHEUMATISM.  733 

Dry  inland  resorts  with  southern  aspect,  and  pro- 
tected from  cold  winds,  are  most  suitable.  Gouty 
patients  are  usually  also  unsuited  to  high  altitudes, 
especially  if  they  are  subject  to  hepatic  torpor  and 
haemorrhoids  ;  and  rheumatic  patients  not  unfre- 
quently  find  their  symptoms  aggravated  by  the 
cold  and  variable  temperatures  of  these  regions. 
Many  of  those  patients,  however,  find,  in  the  summer 
and  autumn,  treatment  with  simple  thermal  baths  at 
quite  moderate  elevations  useful — as  at  Gastein, 
Ragatz,  and  Wildbad.  The  most  suitable  winter 
resorts  are  either  the  warm,  dry  Riviera  stations,  with 
residence  removed  a  little  from  the  sea-shore,  as 
Hyeres,  Cannes,  Nice,  Mentone,  Bordighera,  San 
Remo,  etc.,  and  where  pleasant  level  walks  can  be 
obtained,  as  regular  exercise  in  the  open  air  is  most 
important  for  the  gouty,  favouring  as  it  does  oxi- 
dation and  the  removal  of  waste,  and  tending  to 
counteract  constipation  ;  or  in  the  case  of  patients 
who  are  fairly  vigorous  and  enjoy  travelling,  the  desert 
resorts  in  Egypt  or  Algiers  are  suitable — Helouan, 
Luxor,  Assouan,  or  Hammam  R'Irha  and  Biskra. 
The  warmer  and  dryer  resorts  are  especially  appro- 
priate to  the  cases  with  tendency  to  arterial  and 
renal  changes. 

With  regard  to  convalescents  from  attacks  of  acute 
rheumatism,  it  is  important,  as  we  have  elsewhere 
pointed  out,  that  they  should  not  be  hurried  away 
from  home,  as  they  require,  above  all  things,  a 
prolonged  period  of  repose,  to  save  the  cardiac 
valves  as  much  as  possible  from  all  strain  and  excite- 
ment. Dry  and  sunny  inland  resorts  are  best  suited 
to  those  cases,  the  nearer  home  the  better. 

The  prohibition  of  sea  climates  does  not  apply  to 
young  subjects  of  rheumatoid  arthritis — for  some  of 
these  cases  appear  to  have  affinities  with  scrofula, 
and  may  do  well  at  the  seaside  or  even  on  the  sea. 
The  foregoing  remarks  apply  also  to  neuralgic  cases 
in  the  gouty  and  rheumatic. 

Diabetes. — There  is    not    much    to  be   expected 


734       CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

from  climatic  treatment  in  cases  of  diabetes,  and  as 
so  much  depends  on  diet  and  supervision,  in  all  the 
serious  forms  of  this  disease,  removal  from  the  care 
of  home  (unless  to  a  suitable  sanatorium)  is  rarely 
advisable,  and  we  should  always  bear  in.  mind  that 
the  more  serious  forms  bear  the  fatigue  and  excite- 
ment of  travel  very  badly.  Many  such  cases  have 
been  brought  to  a  premature  end  by  the  fatigue 
of  indiscreet  travelling.  When  the  symptom  of 
glycosuria  is  only  an  incident  of  the  gouty  consti- 
tution, and  is  associated  with  obesity,  the  same 
resorts  as  we  have  recommended  for  the  gouty  should 
be  prescribed,  and  note  should  especially  be  taken  of 
the  need  of  facilities  for  walking  exercise,  which  is 
most  useful  in  these  cases. 

In  the  cases  of  medium  severity  it  is  not  unusual 
to  encounter  much  restlessness,  and  a  great  desire  to 
try  the  effect  of  change  to  a  warmer  and  sunnier 
climate  in  winter.  The  accessibility  and  cheerful- 
ness of  the  Riviera  resorts  may,  in  such  cases,  be 
recommended,  with  many  cautions  as  to  the 
avoidance  of  excitement  and  over-exertion.  Cases 
that  have  benefited  by  treatment  at  one  or  other  of 
the  spas  which  are  usually  recommended  in  this  dis- 
ease in  the  summer,  may  advantageously  take  an 
after-cure  at  a  medium  mountain  elevation. 

Anaemia  and  Chlorosis. — In  selecting  a  climate 
for  cases  of  chronic  anaemia  and  chlorosis  we  have,  in 
the  first  place,  to  consider  the  need  of  absolute  rest  in 
some  cases  where  there  is  much  cardiac  weakness  and 
nervous  exhaustion,  and  the  desirability,  in  other 
less  advanced  cases  that  retain  a  certain  amount  of 
muscular  strength,  of  promoting  moderate  daily 
exercise.  In  all  cases  we  desire  a  bright,  tonic  air, 
plenty  of  sunshine,  agreeable  surroundings,  and 
cheerful  social  conditions.  We  must  avoid  damp, 
relaxing  situations,  and  all  localities  which  are  too 
cold  for  sitting  or  reclining  in  the  open  air.  The 
anaemic  patient  should  not  be  sent  to  a  climate 
where  there  is  any  ri^k  of  feeling  chilled. 


AN&MIA     AND     CHLOROSIS.  735 

In  summer  our  own  sea-coast  resorts  offer  a 
great  choice  of  sunny  localities,  where  many  hours 
each  day  may  be  spent  in  the  open  air.  There 
are  the  more  bracing  resorts  on  the  north  and  east 
coasts — Scarborough,  Whitby,  Cromer,  Lowestoft — 
for  those  who  are  able  to  bear  a  tonic,  stimu- 
lating, dry  marine  climate ;  while  we  can  find 
climates  bracing  in  various  degrees  at  the  south 
coast  resorts,  between  Westgate  and  Southsea,  and 
milder  and  more  sedative  climates  in  the  resorts 
further  west. 

If  the  sea-coast  fails  to  agree  with  certain  cases, 
as  is  not  uncommon,  especially  the  dyspeptic  and 
bilious  cases,  we  must  select  such  tonic  inland  resorts 
as  are  accessible,  and  are  in  dry,  healthy  situations. 
Tunbridge  Wells,  Crowborough,  Haslemere,  and 
Hindhead  and  Malvern  are  suitable  places ;  or,  in 
Scotland,  Pitlochry,  Braemar,  and  many  other  high- 
land retreats,  are  very  suitable  for  the  less  severe 
cases  which  are  able  to  enjoy  gentle  out-of-door 
exercise.  Ilkley  and  Ben  Rr^dding,  in  Yorkshire,  are 
adapted  to  the  same  class  of  cases. 

For  young  and  fairly  active  anaemics  the  Swiss 
mountain  resorts,  at  moderate  elevations,  often  prove 
most  beneficial,  and  if  great  improvement  occurs  at 
the  lower  elevations  the  patient  can  pass  on  to  the 
higher  and  more  bracing  ones.  By  moving  from  place 
to  place,  at  short  distances,  and  within  moderate  limits, 
which  it  is  quite  easy  to  do  in  Switzerland  or  the 
Tyrol,  the  moral  and  mental  advantage  of  frequent 
change  of  scene  and  surroundings  is  notable,  parti- 
cularly in  those  cases  with  a  tendency  to  nervous 
irritability.  In  winter  we  should  select  for  these  cases 
a  climate  which  is  dry  and  sunny  and  which  permits 
of  being  much  in  the  open  air.  The  resorts  of  the 
Riviera  are  very  appropriate,  especially  those  where 
patients  can  live  at  some  little  distance  from  the 
coast,  as  Hyeres,  Cannet,  Cimiez,  and  Bordighera. 
Montreux  and  the  surrounding  resorts  on  the  Lake  of 
Geneva,  Lugano,  Locarno  on  the  Italian  lakes,  or 


736      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS: 

Arco,  near  the  Lago  di  Guarda,  are  more  sedative 
than  the  Riviera  resorts. 

In  short,  the  suitable  resorts  are  those  which 
enable  the  patient  to  be  much  in  the  open  air,  either 
for  complete  repose,  in  the  severe  cases  requiring  a 
rest  cure,  or  for  graduated  exercise  in  those  who  are 
more  vigorous.  We  should  see  that  the  food  arrange- 
ments are  satisfactory ;  and  a  good  test  of  the 
suitability  of  the  climate  is  an  improvement  in 
appetite.  Yachting  in  smooth  waters  and  sunny 
seas  may  suit  some  patients  who  like  the  sea. 

Malarial  Cachexia. — The  -subjects  of  malarial 
cachexia  require  much  the  same  climatic  conditions 
as  the  foregoing.  They  especially  require  protection 
from  cold,  damp  winds,  exposure  to  which  is  apt 
to  bring  back  attacks  of  fever. 

In  summer,  dry  and  sunny  situations  in  the  Alps 
are  suitable,  at  quite  moderate  elevations  at  first, 
which  may  be  followed  by  resort  to  the  more 
bracing  high  altitude  stations.  Places  like  Engelberg, 
St.  Beatenberg,  or  Grindelwald  may  be  succeeded  by 
Miirren,  Davos,  or  the  Engadine.  Glion,  Caux,  Les 
Avants  are  suitable  resorts,  and  convenient  for 
passing  readily  from  a  lower  to  a  higher  elevation. 
Appropriate  resorts  at  home  are  Tunbridge  Wells, 
Crowborough,  Hindhead,  Malvern,  Ilkley,  Braemar. 
In  winter  the  warmer  and  more  protected  Riviera 
resorts  are  most  useful. 

Paroxysmal  Hcemoglobinuria. —  Cases  of  this 
disease  especially  need  removal  to  a  warm  climate  in 
winter,  as  exposure  to  cold  and  damp  is  apt  to  induce 
an  attack  in  the  predisposed.  A  decidedly  warm 
climate  should  be  chosen,  such  as  India,  Ceylon,  the 
West  Indies,  or  the  warmer  Egyptian  resorts, 
Teneriffe  and  the  like.  Such  patients  should  depart 
for  their  destination  before  the  cold  winter  weather 
sets  in,  and  should  be  cautioned  to  avoid  all  exposure 
to  chill. 

Scrofula. — The  climates  most  suitable  to  the  treat- 
ment- of  the  various  forms  of  scrofula  are  maritime 


THE    CLIMACTERIC.  737 

climates.  Sea  air,  combined  with  sea  bathing,  when 
the  season  permits,  has  a  remarkable  influence  in 
promoting  and  quickening  the  nutritive  changes 
necessary  to  recovery  in  these  cases.  Our  own  coasts 
supply  almost  everything  that  can  be  needed  in  this 
direction,  and  delicate  scrofulous  children,  or  the 
children  of  families  in  which  such  tendencies  are 
known  to  exist,  should  be  educated  and  brought  up 
at  the  seaside.  The  results  obtained  at  the  Margate 
sanatorium  are  most  striking,  and  many  other  of  our 
seaside  resorts  can  show  equally  good  results.  A 
sea  voyage  is  also  useful  for  young  boys  if  suitable 
opportunities  occur. 

There  are,  however,  a  certain  few  delicate 
children  with  whom  sea  air  disagrees,  and  for  these 
the  mountain  resorts  often  give  excellent  results. 
And  there  are  delicate  scrofulous  children,  with 
retarded  development  and  catarrhal  tendencies,  who 
are  very  sensitive  to  cold,  and  who  seem  to  need 
more  of  the  stimulating  effect  of  sunshine  than  can  be 
obtained  on  our  shores  ;  for  these  the  warmer  winter 
climate  of  the  Riviera  resorts,  or  those  on  the  south- 
west coast  of  France,  or  in  Algiers,  or  the  frequented 
resorts  in  the  Mediterranean  islands,  are  of  great  help 
in  furthering  normal  development. 

The  Climacteric  period  in  women  is  often  asso- 
ciated with  troublesome  nervous  and  circulatory 
symptoms,  vague  apprehensions,  insomnia,  palpita- 
tions, flatulent  dyspepsia,  etc.,  which  may  need 
recourse  to  change  of  climate.  In  these  cases  moral, 
social  and  mental  influences  play  an  important  rtilc, 
and  in  prescribing  change  we  must  be  guided  in  our 
selection  by  what  is  likely  to  be  agreeable  to  the 
patient.  As  a  rule,  exciting  climates  are  best 
avoided,  and  a  combination  of  tonic  and  sedative 
influences  is  the  desideratum.  Biarritz  and  Pan  in 
winter  are  suitable,  and  so  are  Montreux  and  the 
surrounding  resorts,  or  Lugano  and  Locarno.  On  the 
Riviera  the  less  exciting  situations  are  best,  as 
Hyeres,  Cannet,  Mentone,  Bordighera,  San  Remo, 


738       CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Rapallo.  Ajaccio  and  the  Sicilian  resorts  are  also 
suitable.  In  summer,  well  wooded  and  shady  places 
at  moderate  elevations  in  the  Black  Forest,  or  in 
Switzerland,  are  suitable,  and  in  some  cases  it  will 
be  found  that  the  higher  elevations  prove  more 
calming  to  the  nervous  symptoms  than  lower 
resorts.  A  combination  of  simple  thermal  baths 
with  mountain  or  forest  air,  as  at  Gastein,  Ragatz,  or 
Schlangenbad,  often  has  a  very  soothing  effect. 
A  well-arranged  tour  to  interesting  places  in  healthy 
localities,  with  congenial  companionship,  will  some- 
times be  the  best  resource. 

Senility. — Change  of  climate  often  proves  useful  in 
warding  off,  or  retarding,  the  loss  of  power  and 
debility  which  accompany  advancing  years. 

Aged  persons  are  also  more  liable  to  suffer  from 
serious  chill  from  exposure  in  winter  to  great  cold,  or 
sudden  and  frequent  changes  of  temperature,  and 
they  need  protection  from  such  injurious  conditions. 
Prosper  Merimee  spoke  of  the  sun  as  "le  grand 
arbitre  des  santes  humaines,  M  on  seigneur  le  Soieil ;  " 
and  winter  sunshine,  clear  skies,  and  a  certain 
amount  of  warmth  are  the  climatic  conditions 
favourable  to  the  prolongation  of  the  life  of  aged 
people. 

The  search  after  winter  sunshine  is  not,  therefore, 
an  unwise  pursuit  in  old  age.  It  may  be  obtained 
in  many  places — Cannes,  Nice,  San  Remo,  and 
other  Riviera  resorts,  Egypt,  Castellamare,  the 
Sicilian  resorts,  Biarritz,  Algiers,  short  sea  voyages 
in  sunny  seas,  etc.,  according  to  individual  tastes 
and  wishes.  It  is  usually  desirable  to  select  places 
which  present  some  intellectual  interests,  and  where 
good  food  and  cooking  (of  much  importance  at  this 
age)  can  be  obtained.  In  the  summer  and  autumn 
a  combination  of  mild  mountain  or  forest  air, 
with  simple  thermal  baths,  as  at  Gastein  or  Wildbad, 
is  also  most  serviceable. 

Convalescence  from  acute  disease.  We  should  not 
be  in  a  hurry  to  remove  from  their  homes  patients 


CONVALESCENCE  FROM  ACUTE  DISEASE.  739 

who  are  recovering  from  attacks  of  acute  disease ;  it 
is  much  better  that  they  should  remain,  for  some  time, 
under  the  same  watchful  care  that  has  attended  them 
through  the  acute  attack.  It  is  only  when  the  conva- 
lescence is  retarded,  and  the  patient  appears  to  be 
making  little  or  no  progress,  that  a  change  should  be 
advised — in  the  summer  a  change  from  residence  in 
town  to  a  well-wooded  country  district,  at  a  good 
elevation,  and  offering  some  protected  spots  for  re- 
clining out  of  doors,  or  for  gentle  exercise ;  or  if  the 
patient  is  fond  of  the  seaside,  to  a  quiet  resort  on  the 
coast,  with  agreeable  surroundings.  If  this  is  not 
sufficient,  a  Black  Forest  resort  or  a  Swiss  resort,  at  a 
moderate  elevation,  may  be  chosen — not  going  higher 
than  2,500  or  3,000  feet  at  first. 

In  winter  a  warmer  and  sunnier  climate  may  be 
needed,  and  then  we  must  consult  the  patient's  tastes 
and  feelings,  if  they  are  reasonable ;  there  is  a  great 
choice  of  resorts  on  the  Riviera,  or  at  the  upper  part 
of  the  Lake  of  Geneva,  or  on  the  south-west  coast  of 
France  (Biarritz,  St.  Jean  de  Luz)  ;  or  a  visit  to  Egypt 
may  be  practicable ;  or  a  sea  voyage  may  be  best 
suited  to  those  hardier  convalescents  who  love  the 
sea. 

Treatment  in  Sanatoria. 

Of  late  years  the  system  of  treating  consumptive 
patients  in  " open-air"  sanatoria  has  grown  rapidly. 
No  one  can  doubt  the  great  advantage  to  the  con- 
sumptive patient  that  he  should  be  constantly  under 
the  observation,  care,  and  direction  of  competent  and 
experienced  physicians,  and  that  his  daily  life  should 
be  subject  to  personal  medical  supervision. 

In  a  suitable,  well- organised  sanatorium  he  is 
kept  in  pure  open  air,  so  as  to  secure  constant  hyper- 
aeration  of  the  lungs ;  his  diet  is  physiologically 
adapted  to  his  powers  of  digestion  (not  so  excessive 
as  to  induce  dyspepsia)  ;  the  hours  of  meals,  of  sleep, 
of  exercise  are  wisely  adapted  to  individual  needs 
and  aptitudes  ;  and  the  tonic  influences,  when  requisite, 


740      CLIMATE    AND     CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

of  hydrotherapeutic  measures  are  obtainable.  The 
many  cases  that  need  entire  or  relative  rest  for  a  long 
period  are  ensured  it,  and  when  the  capacity  and 
fitness  for  exercise  are  acquired  it  is  duly  graduated  to 
the  physical  strength  of  each  patient.  In  short,  in  a 
well  ordered  sanatorium,  everything  that  can  conduce 
to  the  patient's  cure  is  effectively  enjoined  and 
enforced,  and  everything  that  can  hinder  recovery  is 
removed  and  forbidden. 

That  the  application  of  such  a  system  should  have 
been  attended  by  excellent  results  can  occasion  no 
surprise.  But  in  addition  to  its  beneficial  curative  in- 
fluence on  the  patients  submitted  to  this  treatment,  it 
has  another  strong  recommendation  in  that  it  removes 
the  consumptive  patient  from  a  position  of  danger  to 
others — the  danger  of  communicating  the  disease  to 
those  with  whom  he  would  be,  in  his  own  home,  in 
close  association.  Sanatorium  treatment  must  there- 
fore be  estimated,  not  only  for  its  curative  influence, 
but  also  for  its  efficacy  as  a  preventive  of  the  spread 
of  this  disease.  Its  best  effects  are  seen  in  young 
adults  who  present  signs  of  the  earliest  stage  of 
the  disease  ;  but  this  is  the  case  with  all  other 
methods  of  treatment  of  phthisis,  and,  like  all  forms 
of  climatic  treatment,  its  idea  and  aims  are  to 
augment  the  resisting  power  of  the  patient  so  that 
he  may  be  able  to  overcome  the  activities  of  the 
agents  of  infection. 

The  mode  of  carrying  out  this  treatment  varies 
somewhat  according  to  the  views  of  "  open-air" 
treatment  that  may  be  entertained  by  the  various 
medical  directors  of  these  institutions.  Some  are 
extremists,  and  advocate  keeping  patients  in  the 
open  air  night  and  day,  in  all  weathers,  and 
exposed  to  all  the  winds  that  blow.  Others  are 
more  cautious,  and  consider  it  of  some  importance  to 
have  the  sanatorium  placed  where  the  climatic  con- 
ditions are  favourable,  with  a  sunny,  southern  aspect, 
on  a  dry  soil,  with  pine  woods  near  at  hand,  and 
where  the  atmosphere  is  comparatively  still,  and 


TREATMENT    IN    SANATORIA.  741 

there  is  protection  from  chilling  winds.  Dr.  Gordon, 
of  Exeter,  has  shown,  we  think  conclusively,  that 
exposure  to  strong  winds  is  injurious  to  the 
phthisical,  and  Dr.  Howard  Sinclair  observes  :  "  The 
aphorism  that  strong  winds  are  poison  to  the  con- 
sumptive cannot  be  too  strongly  insisted  on." 

It  seems  to  be  generally  admitted  that,  where  it  is 
possible,  the  sanatoria  should  be  placed  in  high  altitude 
resorts,  as  they  give  the  best  results  ;  but  where  this 
is  not  practicable,  as  must  be  the  case  in  providing 
such  institutions  for  the  working  classes,  it  is  desirable 
to  build  them  in  the  country,  in  healthy  districts,  in 
well  sheltered  situations,  with  pure,  dry  air,  and 
as  near  as  possible  to  the  usual  habitations  of  the 
patients. 

In  the  opinion  of  some  physicians  it  is  not  possible 
to  afford  the  patient,  in  his  own  home,  under  any 
circumstances,  the  advantages  and  protection  from 
imprudences  that  he  will  get  in  a  sanatorium.  We 
can  hardly  share  so  extreme  an  opinion.  We  believe 
an  intelligent  patient,  anxious  to  be  cured,  and  con- 
vinced of  the  curative  power  of  the  conditions  pre- 
vailing in  sanatoria,  and  with  the  means  needed  to 
secure  constant  medical  supervision,  can  be  provided 
with  "  open-air  "  treatment  at  home  as  well  as  in  such 
institutions,  although,  no  doubt,  a  temporary  residence 
in  a  well  directed  sanatorium  would  serve  as  a  useful 
introduction  and  education  for  home  treatment. 

The  shortest  time  limit  that  can  safely  be  esti- 
mated for  efficient  treatment  in  a  sanatorium  is  six 
months — some  estimate  it  at  a  much  longer  period  ; 
but  six  months  is  a  long  time  for  a  working  man  to 
be  away  from  his  work,  and  it  has  been  shown  that 
unless,  after  his  discharge,  he  can  be  kept  employed  in 
some  healthful  open-air  pursuit,  there  is  great  danger 
of  an  early  return  of  disease. 

Those  who  do  not  bear  well  the  extreme  open- 
air  treatment  are  persons  advanced  in  years,  catarrhal 
subjects,  persons  abnormally  sensitive  to  cold,  persons 
with  habitually  delicate  appetites,  and  young  children. 


742      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS. 

Men  are  said  to  bear  it  better  than  women.  The 
most  recent  statistics  seem  to  show  that  the  results  of 
sanatorium  treatment  are  not  quite  so  satisfactory 
as  was  at  one  time  stated.  That  it  distinctly  has  its 
limitations  is  clear,  and  it  cannot  be  regarded  as  doing 
away  with  the  need  for  climatic  treatment,  but  rather 
as  an  alternative,  when  climatic  change  cannot  be 
obtained,  or  as  an  adjunct  to  it. 

What  is  most  urgently  needed  is  the  provision  of 
asylums  for  advanced  and  hopeless  cases,  so  as  to 
prevent  the  spread  of  the  disease  in  the  over- 
crowded dwellings  of  the  poor. 

LIST     OF    SANATORIA. 

England  and  Wales. 

The  London  Sanatorium  (64  beds),  Pinewood,  Wokingham, 
Berks.  Address  :  Secretary,  London  Open  Air  Sana- 
torium, 20,  Hanover  Square,  W. 

Bournemouth,  Alderney  Manor  Sanatorium,    Parkstone  (25 

beds).     Medical  director  :  Dr.  Denton  Johns. 
Bournemouth,  Overton  Hall  Sanatorium  (16  beds).     Medical 

directors :  Drs.  Pott  and  Stein. 
Bournemouth,  Stourfield  Park  Sanatorium  (45  beds).    Medical 

officer :  Dr.  F.  Fowler. 
Bournemouth,    Brinklea     Sanatorium     (10    beds).      Medical 

director  :  Dr.  Kinsey  Morgan. 
Bourne    Castle    Sanatorium,     Belroughton,    Worcestershire. 

Elevation,  750  feet.     Resident  physician  :  Dr.  Phillpot. 
Belle-Vue  Sanatorium,  Shotley  Bridge,  near  Durham  (10  beds). 

Resident  physician  :  Dr.  E.  W.  Diver. 
Cotswold  Sanatorium  (37  beds).    Elevation,  800  feet.  Medical 

officer:  Dr.  Pruen. 
Chiltern  Hills  Sanatorium,  near  Reading.    Elevation,  375  feet. 

Physician  :  Dr.  Esther  Colebrook. 
Crooksbury  Sanatorium,  near   Farnham,    Surrey    (20  beds). 

Medical  director  :  Dr.  Walters. 
Dartmoor   Sanatorium,  near   Chagford,   Devon.     Elevation, 

750  feet.     Resident  physician  :  Dr.  A.  Scott-Smith. 
Dunston  Park  Sanatorium,   Paignton,    S.   Devon    (16  beds). 

Medical  officer :  Dr.  T.  Carson  Fisher. 
East  Anglian  Sanatorium,   Nayland,  near  Bures,  Suffolk  (35 

beds).     Medical  director:  Dr.  Jane  Walker. 


LIST    OF    SANATORIA.  743 

Harbourne  Sanatorium,  High  Haldon,  Ashford,  Kent  (20  beds). 

Medical  officer :  Dr.  P.  Paget. 
Hailey   Sanatorium,    Ipsden    (Chiltern    Hills),    Goring,   near 

Reading  (12  beds).     Medical  director  :  Dr.  Reinhardt. 
Linford  Sanatorium,  Ringwood,  New  Forest,  Hants  (15  beds). 

Physician :  Dr.  Mander-Smith. 
Moorcote  Sanatorium,  Eversley,  Winchfield,  Hants  (12  beds). 

Resident  physician :  Dr.  W.  L.  Baker. 
Mundesley   Sanatorium,   near   Cromer    (15  beds).      Medical 

officer :  Dr.  Fanning. 
Mendip  Hills  Sanatorium,  Hill  Grove,  Over  Wells,  Somerset 

(20   beds).      Elevation,  850  feet.      Medical  officer :    Dr. 

Muthu. 
Nordrach-upon-Mendip,    near    Wells,    Somerset    (37    beds). 

Elevation,  862  feet.      Medical  directors :    Drs.  Thurnam 

and  Gwynne. 
Nordrach-in-Wales,  Pendyffryn  Hall,  Penmaenmawr,  N.  Wales 

(20  beds).    Elevation,  1,000  feet.     Physician  :  Dr.  Morton 

Wilson. 

Painswick  Sanatorium,  Cotswold  Hills,  Gloucestershire.    Ele- 
vation, 600  feet.     Physician  :  Dr.  W.  McCall. 
Rudgwick    Sanatorium,    near    Horsham,    Sussex    (12   beds). 

Medical  director :  Dr.  Annie  McCall. 
Timbercombe,  Spaxton,  near  Bridgewater,  Somerset  (10  beds). 

Medical  officer  :  Dr.  Brown. 
Vale  of  Clwyd  Sanatorium,  Llanbedr  Hall,  Ruthin,  N.  Wales. 

Elevation,  450  feet.     Physicians  :  Drs.  Grace- Calvert  and 

C.  E.  Fish. 
Whitmead  Hill  Sanatorium,  Tilford,  near  Farnham,  Surrey 

(19  beds).     Medical  director  :  Dr.  Hurd-Wood. 


Scotland. 

Grampian  Sanatorium,  Kingussie.  Elevation,  860  feet  (20 
beds).  Medical  director  :  Dr.  de  Watteville. 

Nordrach-on-Dee  Sanatorium,  Banebury,  Aberdeen  (36  beds). 
Physician :  Dr.  Lawson. 

Woodburn  Sanatorium,  Morning  Side,  Edinburgh  (20  beds). 
Resident  physician  :  Dr.  Galbraith. 


Ireland. 

Altadore  Sanatorium,  Kilpedder,  Co.  Wicklow  (18  beds). 
Medical  officer:  Dr.  J.  C.  Smyth. 

Rossclare  Sanatorium,  Irvinestown,  Fermanagh  (17  beds). 
Medical  officer  :  Dr.  P.  S.  Hichens. 

Rostrevor  Sanatorium,  Co.  Down  (20  beds).  Resident  physi- 
cian :  Dr.  Howard  Sinclair. 


744      CLIMATE    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS , 

France. 

The  Canigou  Sanatorium,  near  Vernet  les  Bains  (hot  sulphur 
springs),  in  the  Pyrenees  Orientales  (100  beds).  Elevation, 
2,300  feet.  Medical  director  :  Dr.  Giresse.  Open  all 
the  year. 

The  Sanatorium  d'Aubrac,  in  the  Monts  d'Aubrac,  in  the 
Dept.  Aveyron  (60  beds  in  a  chalet  and  adjoining 
courts).  Elevation,  4,600  feet.  Only  for  patients  in  the 
earlier  stage,  or  the  pretuberculeux.  Open  all  the  year. 
Physicians  :  Drs.  de  Moneau  and  Fauvel. 

Sanatorium  de  Durtol,  Puy  de  Dome  (32  beds).  Receives 
patients  with  advanced  lesions  of  the  torpid  form,  with 
only  a  moderate  amount  of  fever,  and  general  condition 
good.  Proprietor  :  Dr.  Sabourin. 

Sanatorium  de  Gelos,  near  Pan,  is  associated  with  one  at 
Eaux  Bonnes,  Basses -Pyrenees.  The  first,  with  15  beds,  is 
open  from  October  to  May;  the  second,  with  10  beds, 
from  May  to  October.  At  Eaux  Bonnes  patients  can 
combine  the  sulphur  water  treatment  with  sanatorium 
treatment.  Elevation,  2,625  feet.  For  torpid  cases  with 
much  catarrh.  Medical  director  :  Dr.  Portes. 

The  Trespcey  Sanatorium,  also  near  Pau  (14  beds).  Proprietor  : 
Dr.  Crouzet. 

Sanatorium  de  Gorbio,  in  the  Vallee  de  Gorbio,  Mentone. 
Elevation,  820  feet.  Distance  from  the  sea,  two 
miles  (58  beds).  It  is  open  from  Oct.  21  to  June  15. 
(See  also  p.  689.)  Physician  :  Dr.  Malibran. 

Sanatorium  de  Meung-sur-Loire,  Dept.  Loiret  (17  beds).  Eleva- 
tion, 413  feet.  Open  all  the  year.  Receives  all  curable 
forms  of  tuberculosis.  84  miles  from  Paris,  10  m^es  from 
Orleans.  Physicians  :  Drs.  Leriche  and  Sarrot. 

Sanatorium  des  Puis  si  Lamotte-Beuvron,  Dept.  Loir-et-Cher 
(22  beds).  Elevation,  426  feet.  61  miles  from  Paris,  14 
miles  from  Orleans.  Physician  :  Dr.  Heroe. 

Sanatoria  in  course  of  construction,  in  the  vicinity  of  Hyeres, 
for  middle  class  patients  :  Sanatorium  Philanthropique  du 
Mont  des  Oiseaux  (150  beds).  For  adults.  Sanatorium 
d'Enfants  de  San  Salvador  (150  beds). 

Algiers. 

Sanatorium  d'Alger  (100  beds,  60  of  which  are  devoted  to 
assisted  patients  in  a  separate  section).  Elevation,  656 
feet.  Receives  cases  needing  a  warm  winter  climate,  such 
as  torpid,  subacute  forms,  with  extensive  lesions,  and 
cases  with  laryngeal,  intestinal  or  renal  complications. 

Italy. 

Palermo,  Villa  Igeia  (200  beds).  Appears  to  be  more  of  an 
hotel  than  a  sanatorium, 


LIST    OF    SANATORIA-.  745 

Germany. 

Rrehmer  Sanatorium  (the  parent  of  such  institutions),  Gorbers- 

dorf,  Silesia,  near  Friedland  (156  beds  of  the  first  class, 

179  beds  of  the   second  class).      Medical  director:  Dr. 

Rudolf  Robert. 
Falkenstein  Sanatorium  (one  of  the  earliest  instituted),  Cron- 

berg,  near  Frankfort  (112  beds).     Medical  officers :  Drs. 

Hess  and  Besold. 
Hohenhonnef  Sanatorium,  on  the  Rhine,  station  Honnef  (109 

beds).     Medical  director  :  Dr.  Meissen. 
Laubbach  Sanatorium,  near  Coblenz-on-the- Rhine  (113  beds). 

Medical  director  :  Dr.  Achtermann. 
Nordrach  Sanatorium,  near  Biberachzell,   Black  Forest  (45 

beds).     Medical  director  :  Dr.  Walther. 
Schomberg   Sanatorium,  near   Liebenzell,    Pforzheim,  Black 

Forest  (50  beds).     Medical  director  :  Dr.  Adolf  Koch. 
St.  Blasien  Sanatorium,  railway  station  Albbruck,  near  Basel, 

Black  Forest  (62  beds).    Medical  director :  Dr.  A.  Sander. 
Wherawald   Sanatorium,  near   Todtmoos,  Black  Forest  (98 

beds).     Medical  director  :  Dr.  Lips. 
Reiboldsgrun  Sanatorium,  near  Auerbach,  Saxony  (108  beds). 

Medical  director  :  Dr.  Wolff-Immermann. 
Freland  Sanatorium,  near  Aubure,  Haute  Alsace. 
Rehburg    -Sanatorium,    Bad-Rehburg,    Hanover    (20    beds). 

Medical  director  :  Dr.  Michaelis. 


Switzerland. 

The    Schatz-Alp   Sanatorium,   1,000    feet    above   Davos 

(120  beds).     Chief  physician  :  Dr.  L.  Spengler. 
Dr.  Turban's  Sanatorium  (80  beds). 


Dr.  Dannegger's  Sanatorium  (40  beds). 
Sanatorium  Schweizerhof.     Physician  :  Dr.  Peters. 
Sanatorium  du  Midi.     Physician  :  Dr.  Michel. 
Sanatorium  Davos-Dorf.     Physician  :  Dr.  C.  Donz. 
Neues  Sanatorium,  Davos-Dorf.    Physician  :  Dr.  Philippi. 
International  Sanatorium.     Physician  :  Dr.  P.  Humbert. 


^Sanatorium  Clavadel.     Physician  :  Dr.  Frey. 

Arosa  Sanatorium.     Physician  :  Dr.  Herwig. 
Leysin  Sanatoria,  elevation  4,783  feet,  in  the  Vaudois  Alps, 
near  Aigle.     (See  p.  583.) 

Teneriffe.  Guimar  Sanatorium.    Physician:  Dr.  J.  L.  Salmund. 


INDEX. 


I.-MINERAL  WATERS  AND   BATHS  AND  THE 
DISEASES   IN   WHICH  THEY  ARE   USED. 


Aachen,  52 

Abano,  75 

Acne,  Treatment  for,  450 

Acquarossa,  75 

Acqui,  76 

^Esculap  water,  76 

After-cures,  50 

Aitaling,  76 

Aigle  les  Bains,  76 

Aix  en  Provence,  76 

Aix  la  Chapelle,  52—55 

Aix  les  Bains,  55—64 

Albuminuria,    Treatment   for,    442 

Alet,  76 

Alexandersbad,  77 

Alexisbad,   77 

Alkaline  baths,  Preparation  of,  44 

Alkaline  earthy  springs,  15 

Alkaline  waters,  10;   Action  of,  in 

baths,     30;     Action     of,     taken 

internally,  35—38 
Allevard,  65—67 
Alvaneu-bad,  77 
Amelie  les  Bains,  67—69 
Amenorrhoea,    Treatment   for,    452 
Amphion,  181 
Anaemia  and  chlorosis,  Treatment 

for,  385-389 
Andabre,  77 
Andeer  Pignieu,  78 
Antogast,  78 
Apenta  water,  69 
Apollinaris  water,  70—72 
Archena,  78 
Argeles-Gazost,  78 
Arnstadt,  79 

Aromatic  baths,  Preparation  of,  43 
Arsenical    waters,    20;     Action    of, 

taken  internally,  42 
Arterio-sclerosis,  Treatment  for,  439 
Articular    rheumatism,    Treatment 

for,  411 

Ashby-de-la-Zouch,  72 
Askern  Spa,  73 
Assmannshausen,  79 
Asthma,  Treatment  for,  431 
Astringent   baths,    Preparation   of, 

44 

Audinac,  79 
Auerbach,  79 


Augustusbad,  79 

Aulus,  79 

Aussee,  80 

Austria  (see  Germany) 

"  Austrian  sellers  water,"  340 

Auteuil,  80 

Ax  les  Thermes,  74 


B 


Baassen,  127 

Bad-Boll,  130 

Baden  (in  Austria),  83 

Baden  (in  Switzerland),  83—85 

Baden-Baden,  80—83 

Badenweiler,  85 

Bad-Hall,  212 

Bad  Linda,  252 

Bad-Salzbrunn,  281 

Bagneres-de-Bigorre,  86—88 

Bagneres  de  Luchon,  244—249 

Bagni  Caldi,  243 

Bagni  di  Lucca,  243 

Bagnoles  de  1'Orne,  88—90 

Bagnoli,  127 

Bagnols  les  Bains,  127 

Bains  (Vosges),  127 

Bakewell,  128 

Balaruc,  90 

Ballynahinch,  128 

Ballyspellan,  128 

Barbotan,  128 

Bareges,  91—93 

Bartfeld,  128 

Barzun,  128,  317 

Bath,  94-98 

Baths,  Preparation  of,  22—24; 
Action  of  indifferent  thermal, 
26;  Action  of  common  salt,  28; 
Action  of  gaseous  thermal  salt, 
29;  Action  of  alkaline,  30; 
Action  of  bitter  water,  30; 
Action  of  chalybeate,  30;  Action 
of  earthy  springs,  31;  Action  of 
sulphur,  32 ;  Preparation  of  aro- 
matic and  medicated,  43;  Pine- 
needle,  43;  Alkaline,  44;  As- 
tringent, 44 ;  Peat,  44 ;  Mud,  44 ; 
Gas,  45;  Sun  and  light,  47; 
Electric  light,  47;  Electric,  47; 


748 


INDEX    TO    PART    I. 


Application  of,  for  alleviation 
and  cure  of  disease,  382—456 

Battaglia,  98 

Bauche,  La,  128 

Belgium,  Simple  thermal  waters  in, 
7;  Chalybeate  waters  in,  14 

Bentheim,  129 

Berchtesgaden,  99 

Berg,  129 

Berg  and  Canstatt,  132 

Berka,  129 

Bertrich,  100 

Bex,  101 

Bibra,  129 

Bile  ducts,  Treatment  for  diseases 
of,  424-426 

Bilin,  129 

Birmenstorf,  129 

Birresborn,  129 

Bitter  waters,  12;  Action  of,  in 
baths,  30;  Action  of,  taken  in- 
ternally, 38;  Apenta,  69;  ^Escu- 
lap,  76;  Franz  Joseph,  191; 
Friedrichshall,  192;  Grau,  198; 
Hunyadi  Janos,  214 ;  Kissingen, 
219;  Pullna,  292;  Reichenhall, 
295 

Booklet,  130 

Boll,  130 

Borjom,  130 

Bormio,  103 

Borszek,  130 

Bosnia,  Sulphur  spring  in,  19 

Boulou,  Le,  104 

Bourbon  Lancy,  105—107 

Bourbon  1'Archambaut,   107—110 

Bourbonne  les  Bains,  110—112 

Bourboule,  La,  113—116 

Bramstedt,  130 

Bremerbad,  131 

Brides  les  Bains,  116—119 

Bridge  of  Allan,  131 

Bridge  of  Earn,  131 

Brine  baths,  Action  of,  28 

Briscous,  131 

Bromides  and  iodides,  Waters  con- 
taining, 20,  42 

Bronchial  catarrh,  Treatment  for, 
429-431 

Bruckenau,*  120—122 

Builth  Wells,  122 

Bukowine,  131 

Burtscheid,  52,  53,  131 

Bussang  (Vosges),  122—124 

Buxton,  124—127 

Buzias,  131 


Cadeac,  157 

Calcareous  springs,  15;    Action  of, 

in  baths,  31 ;    Action  of,  taken 

internally,  40 
Calculi,  Treatment  for,  441 
Cambo,  131 

Canstatt  and  Berg,  132 
Capvern,  157 
Carabana,  157 


Cardiac  diseases,  Treatment  for, 
432-440 

Carlsbad,  133—141 

Carratraca,  157 

Casamicciola,  157 

Cassera-Verduzan,  157 

Castellamare  di  Stabia,  157 

Castiglione,  157 

Castleconnell,  157 

Castro-Caro,  157 

Catarrh,  bronchial,  Treatment  for, 
429—431 

Cauterets,  141—144 

Cerebral  hypersemia,  Treatment 
for,  445 

Ceresole-Reale,  157 

Challes,  144—146 

Chalybeate  waters,  13;  Action  of,  in 
baths,  30;  Action  of,  taken  in- 
ternally, 39 

Charlottenbrunn,  158 

Chateauneuf,  158 

Chatelguyon,  146—148 

Chaudes  Aigues,  158 

Chaudfontaine,  158 

Cheltenham,  148 

Chianciano,  158 

Chloride  waters,  8 

Chlorosis,   Treatment  for,   385—389 

Chorea,  Treatment  for,  448 

Circulatory  system,  Treatment  for 
diseases  of,  432—440 

Cirrhosis,  Treatment  for,  424 

Civillina,  158 

Civita  Vecchia,  158 

Classification  of  mineral  springs, 
5—21 

Colitis,  muco-membranous,  Treat- 
ment for,  422—424 

Composition    of    mineral    springs, 

Condillac,  158 

Congestion  of  liver,  Treatment  for, 

424 
Constipation,    habitual,    Treatment 

for,  421 

Contrexeville,  149—156 
Counter    indications   of    treatment 

by  mineral  waters,  382—384 
Cours-les-Bains,  159 
Court  Saint  Etienne,  159 
Couzan  table  water,  159,  338 
Cransac,  159 
Croft  Spa,  159 
Csiz,  159 
Cudown,  159 
Cusset,  159,  367 
Cutaneous  diseases,  Treatment  for, 

448—451 


Dax,  159-162 

Diabetes,  Treatment  for,  394—399 

Diarrhoea,- chronic,  Treatment  for, 

422—424 
Diet,  Importance  of,  49 


INDEX   TO   PART  I. 


749 


Digestive    organs,    Treatment    for 

diseases  of,  417-421 
Digue,  165 

Dinkholder-Brunnen,  165 
Dinsdale-on-Tees,  165 
Dirsddrp,  165 
Ditzenbach,  165 
Doberan,  165 

Douches,  Various  forms  of,  24 
Driburg-Bad,  162 
Droitwich,  163—165 
Diirkheim,  165 
Diirrenberg,  165 
Diirrheim,  166 

Dysmenorrhoea,  Treatment  for,  453 
Dyspepsia,  Treatment  for,  417—421 


Earthy  springs,  15;  Action -of,  in 
baths,  31:  Action  of,  taken  in- 
ternally, 40 

Eaux  Bonnes,  166—170 

Eaux  Chaudes,  170 

Eberswalde,  182 

Eczema,  Treatment  for,  449 

Eilsen,  182 

Electric  bath,  47 

Electric  light  bath,  47 

Elmen,  182 

Elopatak,  183 

Elster,  171 

Emphysema,  chronic,  Treatment 
for,  431 

Ems,  173—175 

Encausse,  183 

Enghien,  175—177 

"Erdobenye,  183 

Escaldas,  Les,  183 

Essentuke,  183 

Euzet,  183 

Evaux,  183 

Evian,  177-181 

Exercises,  Mechanical,  at  different 
spas,  48 


Fachingen,  190 

Farnbuhl,  190 

Fatty  liver,  Treatment  for,  424 

Faulenseebad,  190 

Female  genital  organs,  Treatment 
for  diseases  of,  451 — 456 

Fideris,  190 

Finneck,  303 

Fitero,  191 

Flinsberg,  191 

Flitwick,  191 

Forges-les-Eaux,  184 

France,  Simple  thermal  waters  in, 
7;  Common  salt  waters  in,  9; 
Simple  alkaline  waters  in,  11; 
Alkaline  and  common  salt 
springs  in,  11 ;  Bitter  waters  in, 
13;  Chalybeate  waters  in,  14; 


Earthy  springs  in,  16;  Sulphur 
springs  in,  17.  (Each  mineral 
spring  is  entered  under  its  own 
name) 

Frankenhausen,  191 

Franzensbad,  185—190 

Franz  Joseph,  191 

Freiersbach,  191 

Friedrichshall,  192 

Frienwalde,  191 

Fuered,  192 

Furunculosis,  chronic,  Treatment 
for,  451 

Fuscherbad,  192 


Gallstones,  Treatment  for,  424 

Gandersheim,  197 

Gas  baths,  45 

Gaseous  thermal  salt  baths,  29 

Gastein,  192—195 

Genital  organs,  female,  Treatment 
for  diseases  of,  451—456 

Germany  and  Austria,  Simple  ther- 
mal waters  in,  7;  Common  salt 
waters  in,  9;  Simple  alkaline 
waters  in,  11;  Alkaline  and 
common  salt  springs  in,  12; 
Alkaline  and  sodium  sulphate 
waters  in,  12;  Bitter  waters  in, 
13;  Chalybeate  waters  in,  14; 
Earthy  springs  in,  16;  Sulphur 
springs  in,  18.  (Each  mineral 
spring  is  entered  under  its  own 
name) 

Giesshuebl-Puchstein,  197 

Gilsland  Spa,  197 

Gleichenberg,  195 

Glycosuria  and  diabetes,  Treatment 
for,  394—399 

Gmunden,  197 

Goczal  Kowitz,  197 

Godesberg,  197 

Gpnten,  197 

Goppingen,  197 

Gottleuba,  198 

Gout,  and  uric  acid  diathesis, 
Treatment  for,  399—405 

Grau,  198 

Gravel,  Treatment  for,  441 

Great  Britain,  Simple  thermal 
waters  in,  6;  Common  salt 
waters  in,  9;  Bitter  waters  in, 
12;  Chalybeate  waters  in,  14; 
Sulphate  of  iron  springs  in,  15 ; 
Earthy  spring  in,  15;  Sulphur 
springs  in,  17.  (Each  mineral 
spring  is  entered  under  its  own 
name) 

Greece,  Sulphur  spring  in,  19 

Greifswald,  198 

Grenzach,  198 

Greoulx,  198 

Griesbach,  198 

Gurnigelbad,  196 

Gymnastics  at  spas,  48 


750 


INDEX   TO   PART  I. 


H 


Haarlem,  212 

Habsburger-Bad,  327 

Haemorrhoids,  Treatment  for,  422 

Hall  (Bad-Hall),  212 

Hall  (in  Austrian  Tyrol),  212 

Hall  (Swabisch  Hall),  212 

Hallein,  212 

Hamm,  212 

Hammain  R'Irha,  198—200 

Hapsal,  212 

Harkany,  213 

Harrogate,  200—203 

Harzburg,  213 

Heart  diseases  (see  Cardiac  dis- 
eases) 

Heilbrunn,  213 

Heilbrunnen,  351 

Heiligen  Kreuzbad,  213 

Helouan  les  Bains,  203 

Hercules-Bad,  213 

Hermannsbad  (in  Saxony),  213 

Hermnnnsbad  (in  Silesia),  213 

Heustrich,  204—207 

Homburg,  207—212 

Honnef,  213 

Hot  sand  baths,  45 

Hunyadi  Janos,  214 

Ilypersemia,  cerebral,  Treatment 
for,  445 

Hysteria,  Treatment  for,  448 

Hjthe,  498 


Ilidze,  216 

Imrau,  216 

Impaludism,  Treatment  for,  415 

Indifferent  thermal  waters,  6; 
their  action  applied  externally, 
26—28;  their  action  taken  in- 
ternally, 34 

Infantile  paralysis,  Treatment  for, 
447 

Inhalation  of  mineral  waters,  24 

Innichen,  216 

Inowrazlaw,  216 

Inselbad,  216 

Insomnia,  Treatment  for,  448 

Iodides  and  bromides,  Waters  con- 
taining, 20,  42 

Ireland,  Sulphur  springs  in,  17 

Iron  waters,  13;  Action  of,  in  baths, 
30;  Action  of,  taken  internally, 
39 

Ischia,  214 

Ischl,  214 

Italy,  Simple  thermal  waters  in,  7; 
Common  salt  waters  in,  10; 
Simple  alkaline  waters  in,  11 ; 
Alkaline  and  common  salt 
springs  in,  12;  chalybeate 
waters  in,  14;  Earthy  springs  in, 
16;  Sulphur  springs  in,  18. 
(Each  mineral  spring  is  entered 
under  its  own  name) 


Ivonicz,  216 
Ivonitch,  216 


Jagstfeld,  216 

Jalcznovodsk,  217 

Jaundice,   chronic,   Treatment  for, 

425 

Johannis  table  water,  217 
Johannisbad,  217 
Juliushall,  217 


K 


Kainzenbad,  224 

Karlstad,  224 

Kellberg,  224 

Kidney,  gouty,  Treatment  for,  442 

Kiedrich,  224 

Kissingen,  217—221 

Kissingen  Well  (Harrogate),  200,  2.2 

Koehigsdorf-Jastrzemb,  224 

Koenigswart,  224 

Koesen,  225 

Kohlgrub,  225 

Kolberg,  225 

Krankenheil  Tolz,  351 

Krapina  Toplitz,  225 

Kreuth,  225 

Kreuznach,  221—224 

Krynica,  225 


Lad  is,  250 

La  Lenk,  233 

La  Malou,  225-228 

La  Motte  les  Bains,  228-230 

La  Mouillere,  230 

Landeck,  250' 

Langenau,  251 

Langenbriicken,  251 

Langenfeld,  250 

Larigensalza,  251 

Langen-Schwalbacli,  330—332 

La  Preste,  292 

Laryngitis,  chronic,  Treatment  for, 

427 

Lauchstadt,  251 
Laurvik,  251 
Lausigk,  251 
Lavey,  231 
Leamington,  232 
Ledesma,  251 
Leixlip  Spa,  251 
Lenk,  233 
Le  Prese,  292 

Leucorrhoea,  Treatment  for,  454 
Leukerbad,  284—286 
Levico,  236 

Lichen,  Treatment  for,  451 
Liebenstein,  252 
Liebenzell,  252 
Liebwerda,  252 
Light  baths,  47 


INDEX   TO   PART    I. 


751 


Linda-Pausa,  252 

Lipetsk,  252 

Lipik,  252 

Lippspringe,  237 

Lisdoonvarna.  237 

Lithiasis,  Treatment  for,  405 

Liver  and  bile  ducts,  Treatment  for 

diseases  of,  424—426 
Llandrindod  Wells,  238-240 
Llangammarch,  240 
Llanwrtyd  Wells,  241 
Lobenstein,  252 

Locomotor  ataxy,  Treatment  for,  445 
Loeche  les  Bains,  284—286 
Lons  le  Saunier,  252 
Lostorf,  253 

Louisen  baths  (Franzensbad),  187 
Lucan,  242 
Lucca,  243 
Luchon,  244 — 249 
Luhatschowitz,  253 
Lumbago,  Treatment  for,  412 
Luxemburg,    Common    salt   waters 

in,  10 

Luxeuil  les  Bains,  249 
Luz,  316 
Lye  or  alkaline  baths,  Preparation 

of,  44 


M 


Malarial  affections,  chronic,  Treat- 
ment for,  415 

Mallow,  266 

Malou,  La,  225—228 

Marcols,  266 

Marienbad,  253—256 

Marlioz,  64 

Martrgfty  les  Bains,  266 

Massage,  48 

Matlock  Bath,  257 

Medicated  baths,  Preparation  of,  43 

Meinberg,  266 

Melksham,  267 

Mendorf,  267 

Menorrhagia,  Treatment  for,  453 

Metallic  poisoning,  chronic,  Treat- 
ment for,  394 

Middlesbrough,  339 

Middlewich,  267 

Mineral  peat  baths,  Preparation  of, 
44 

Mineral  springs,  Description  of 
principal,  52—381 

Mineral  waters,  Nature  of,  1 ;  Defi- 
nition of,  3;  Composition  of,  3; 
Varying  temperature  of,  4; 
classification  of,  5—21 ;  modes  of 
application,  22;  their  action 
when  applied  externally,  24—33; 
their  action  when  taken  inter- 
nally, 33—42;  Counter  indica- 
tions of  treatment  by,  382—384; 
for  anoemia  and  chlorosis, 
385—389;  for  scrofula  and 
tubercle,  389;  for  pulmonary 
tuberculosis,  390  —  392;  for 
syphilis,  392-394;  for  chronic 


metallic  poisoning,  394;  for  gly- 
cosuria  and  diabetes,  394 — 399; 
for  gout  and  the  uric  acid  dia- 
thesis, 399—405;  for  lithiasis, 
405;  for  oxaluria,  406;  for  phos- 
phaturia,  407;  for  obesity, 
407  —  409;  for  rheumatism, 
409—413;  for  sciatica,  413;  for 
rheumatoid  arthritis,  413;  for 
chronic  malarial  affections,  415 ; 
for  diseases  of  the  digestive 
organs,  417—421;  for  constipa- 
tion, 421 ;  for  haemorrhoids,  422 ; 
for  chronic  diarrhoea  and  muco- 
membranous  colitis,  422—424 ; 
for  diseases  of  liver  and  bile 
ducts,  424—426;  for  diseases  of 
the  respiratory  organs,  426—429; 
for  bronchial  catarrh,  429—431; 
for  chronic  emphysem^,  431 ; 
for  asthma,  431;  for  diseases  of 
circulatory  system,  432 — 440 ; 
for  renal  and  urinary  disorders, 
440—443 ;  for  diseases  of  nervous 
system,  443—448;  for  cutaneous 
diseases,  448—451;  for  diseases 
of  the  female  genital  organs, 
451—456 

Miscarriages,  tendency  to,  Treat- 
ment for,  455 

Mitterbad,  267 

Moffat,  267 

Molitg,  267 

Monsumano,  267 

Mont  Dore,  257—265 

Monte  Catini,  265 

Montegrotto,  268 

Montemayor,  268 

Monte  Ortone,  268 

Montmirail,  268 

Montrond,  268 

Moor  baths,  Preparation  and 
action  of,  44 

Morgins,  268 

Mouillere,  La,  230 

Muco-membranous  colitis,  Treat- 
ment for,  422—424 

Mud  baths,  Preparation  and  action 
of,  44 

Munster-am-Stein,  268 

Muriated  waters,  8 

Muscular  rheumatism,  Treatment 
for,  411 


N 


Nantwich,  268 

Nauheim,  269—274 

Nenndorf,  279 

Nephritis,  interstitial,  Treatment 
for,  442 

Neris,  274—276 

Nervous  system,  Treatment  for  dis- 
eases of,  443—448 

Neuenahr,  277—279 

Neuenhain,  279 

Neuhaus  (Bavaria),  279 


752 


INDEX   TO   PART   I. 


Neuliaus  (Styria),  279 

Neu-Ragoczi,  279 

Neuralgia,  chronic,  Treatment  for, 
447 

Neuralgia  of  large  nerves,  Treat- 
ment for,  413 

Neurasthenia,   Treatment  for,   448 

Neuritis,  Treatment  for,  446 

Neuroses,  Treatment  for,  448 

Neustadt-Eberswalde,  280 

Niederbronn,  280 

Niederlangenau,  251 

Niedernau,  280 

Niederselters,  341 

Norway,  Sulphur  springs  in,  19 


Oberlahnstein-am-Rhein,    281 

Obersalzbrunn,  281 

Obesity,  Treatment  for,  407—409 

Obladis,  250 

Oeynhausen,  280 

Offenbach-am-Main,  281 

Oldesloe,  281 

Olette,  281 

Ontaneda,  282 

Orb,  282 

Orezza,  282 

Oriol,  282 

Osteo-arthritis,  Treatment  for,  413 

Oxaluria,  Treatment  for,  406 


Panticosa,  289 

Parad,  290 

Paralysis,  infantile,  Treatment  for, 

447 

Paralysis,  Treatment  for,  444 
Pardoux  table  water,  108 
Passugg,  290 

Peat  baths,  Preparation  of,  44 
Peiden,  290 
Pejo,  290 
Pestrin,  290 
Petersthal,  290 
Pfaeflers,  293 
Pfriem's  method  of  heating  water 

for  baths,  23 

Pharyngitis,  Treatment  for,  427 
Phlebitis,  Treatment  for,  439 
Phosphaturia,  Treatment  for,  407 
Piatigorsk,  290 
Pierrefonds,  282 
Pietrapola,  290 
Pine-needle  bath,  Preparation  and 

action  of,  43 
Pit-Keathly  water,  131 
Pityriasis,  Treatment  for,  451 
Plombieres,  283—286 
Ponte  Seraglio,  243 
Poretta,  290 
Portugal,    Simple    alkaline   waters 

in,  11;   Sulphur  springs  in,  19 
Postyen,  292 


Pougues  les  Eaux,  286 
Pouillon,  291 
Pozzuoli,  291 
Preblau,  291 
Prechacq-les-Bains,  291 
Pre-Saint-Didier,  292 
Prese,  Le,  292 
Preste,  La,  292 
Prurigo,  Treatment  for,  451 
Pruritus,  Treatment  for,  451 
Psoriasis,  Treatment  for,  450 
Pullna,  292 

Pulmonary      tuberculosis,      Treat- 
ment for,  390—392 
Purton  Spa,  292 
Puzzichello,  292 
Pyrmont,  287—289 
Pystjan,  292 


Rabbi,  303 

Radein,  303 

Ragatz-Pfaeffers,    293 

Rajeczfiirdo,  303 

Rappoltsweiler,   303 

Rastenburg  and  Finneck,  303 

Ratzes,  304 

Recoaro,  304 

Rehburg,  304 

Rehme-Oeynhausen,  280 

Reiboldsgrun,  304 

Reichenhall,  294 

Reinerz,  304 

Rietbad,  304 

Remoricourt,  304 

Renal    disorders,     Treatment    for, 

440—443 
Renlaigue,  304 
Rennes  les  Bains,  304 
Respiratory  organs,  Treatment  for 

diseases  of,  426—429 
Reutlingen,  304 
Rheinfelden,  295—297 
Rheumatic    neuralgia,     Treatment 

for,  413 
Rheumatism,     chronic,     articular, 

and   muscular,    Treatment   for, 

409—415 
Rheumatoid    arthritis,     Treatment 

for,  409,  413 
Rhino-pharyngitis.,    Treatment   for, 

427 

Rio,  305 

Rippoldsau.  297 
Rohitsch,  305 
Romerbad  and  Tuffer,  305 
Roncas-Blanc,  305 
Roncegno,  298 
Ronneberg,  305 
Ronneby,  305 
Rosenheim,  305 
Rothenbrunnen,  305 
Rothenfelde,  305 
Rouzat,  305 

Royat  les  Bains,  299—303 
Rubinat-Llorach,  305 


INDEX   TO   PART  I. 


753 


llussia,  Simple  alkaline  waters  in, 
11;  Alkaline  and  common  salt 
springs  in,  12;  Sulphur  springs 
in,  19 


Sacedon,  338 

Sail  les  Bains,  338 

Sail  sous  Couzan,  338 

St.  Alban,  338 

St.  Amand,  306 

S,t.  Antoine  de  Guagno,  338 

St.  Boes,  338 

St.  Christan,  307—309 

St.  Galmier,  338 

St.  Gervais,  309 

St.  Honore,  310 

St.  Laurent  les  Bains,  338 

St.  Maurice,  370 

St.  Moritz-Bad,  311-314 

St.  Nectaire,  314—316 

St.  Olafs,  338 

St.  Sauveur,  316 

St.  Vallier,  338 

St.  Yorre,  338 

Salies-de-Bearn,  317—319 

Salies  du  Salut.  338 

Salins-du-Jura,  "319 

Salins  Moutiers,  116,  119 

Salso  Maggiore.  320—326 

Salt  (common)  waters,  8;  their 
action  when  applied  ex- 
ternally, 28 

Saltbtfrn  by  the  Sea,  338 

Salvator,  339 

Salzbrunn,  339 

Salzburg,  339 

Salzdetfurth,  339 

Salzerbad,  339 

Salzhausen,  339 

Salzschlirf,  326 

Sal/uflen,   339 

Salzungen,  339 

Sanatorium  du  Canigou,  359 

San  Bernardino.  339 

Sanct  Lorenz,  340 

Sand  baths,  Hot,  45 

Sandefjord,  340 

Sandrock,  340 

San  Marco,  340 

San  Pedro  do  Sul,  340 

San  Pietro  Montagone,  340 

Santa  Agueda,  340 

Santa  Catarina,  340 

Santenay,  340 

Saxon,  340 

Schandau,  341 

Schimberg,  341 

Schinznach,  327 
Schlangenbad,  328—330 
Schmalkalden,  341 
Schmiedeberg,  341 
Schwabisch  Hall,  212 
Schwalbach,  330—332 
Schwalheim  table  water,  270,  341 
Sclfwarz  method  of  heating  water 
for  baths,  23 


Schwarzbach,  341 

Schwefelberg,  341 

Schweizerhalle,  341 

Sciacca,  341 

Sciatica,  Treatment  for,  413,  447 

Scotch  Douche,  24 

Scrofula,  Treatment  for,  389 

Sea-mud  baths,  45 

Segeberg,  341 

Selters,  341 

Serneus,  341 

Shanklin,  341 

Shap  Wells,  342 

Simple  alkaline  waters,  10 

Simple  thermal  waters,  6 

Siradan,  Sainte  Marie,  342 

Skin  diseases,  Treatment  for, 
448-451 

Soden,  332 

Sod  en  a  Werra,  342 

Soden-Salzmunster,  342 

Sodenthal,  342 

Sodium  chloride  waters,  8     • 

Sodium  sulphide  waters,  19 

Sodium  waters,  19;  their  action 
taken  internally,  35 

Solis,  342 

Sotsass  table  water,  345 

Soulzmatt,  342 

Spa,  333—336 

Spain  and  Portugal,  Simple  ther- 
mal waters  in,  7;  Common  salt 
waters  in,  10;  Bitter  waters  in, 
13;  Sulphur  springs  in,  18. 
(Each  mineral  spring  is  entered 
under  its  own  name) 

Spring  water,  Chemical  -compo- 
sition of,  2 

Springs,  Mineral  (see  Mineral 
waters) 

Srebernik,  342 

Stachelberg,  342 

Stafford,  342 

Steben,  342 

Sterility,  Treatment  for,  456 

Stoney  Middleton,  342 

Strathpeffer,  336 

Submarine  douche,  24 

Suderode,  342 

Sulis  water,  97 

Sulphur  and  sodium  chloride 
waters,  19 

Sulphur  waters.  16;  Subdivision  of, 
19;  Action  of,  in  baths,  32;  in- 
halation of,  33;  Action  of, 
taken  internally,  41 

Sulphuretted   hydrogen    gas    bath, 

Sulphuretted  hydrogen  springs,  19 

Sulphurous  peat  baths,  45 

Suiza,  342 

Sulzbach,  343 

Sulzbrunn,  343 

Sun  baths,  47 

Swanlinbar,  343 

Switzerland,  Simple  thermal 
waters  in,  7;  Common  salt 
waters  in,  10;  Simple  alkaline 
waters  in,  11;  Alkaline  and 


754 


INDEX   TO  PART  I. 


sodium  sulphate  waters  in,  12; 
Bitter  waters  in,  13;  Chaly- 
beate waters  in,  14;  Earthy 
springs  in,  16.  (Each  mineral 
spring  is  entered  under  its  own 
name) 

Sylvanes,  343 

Syphilis,   Treatment  for,   392—394 

Szczawnica,  343 

Szkleno,  343 


Tabes,  Treatment  for,  445 

Tabiano,  350 

Table  Waters :  Aix  la  Chapelle,  55, 
57;  Apollinaris,  70—72;  Sulis, 
97;  Pardoux,  108;  Condil- 
lac,  158;  Couzan,  159;  Giess- 
huebl-Puchstein,  197 ;  Johannis, 
217;  La  Verniere,  226;  Lenk, 
233;  Levico,236;  Schwalheimer- 
brunnen,  270;  Couzan,  338;  St. 
Alban,  338;  St.  Galmier,  338; 
Selters,  341;  Soulzmatt,  342; 
Sotsass,  345;  Tormisstein,  351; 
Imperatrice,  358;  St.  Jean,  358; 
Vichy,  359—368 

Tarasp-Schuls,  343—347 

Teinach,  350 

Tennstedt,  351 

Teplitz,  347—349 

Termini-Imersee,  351 

Thale,  351 

Thonon,  351 

Tiefenkasten,  351 

Tobelbad,  351 

Tolz,  351 

Topusco,  352 

Tormisstein,  351 

Tracheitis,  Treatment  for,  427 

Traunstein,  352 

Trefriw,  352 

Trenczin  Toplitz,  352 

Trillo,  352 

Tuberculosis,  pulmonary,  Treat- 
ment for,  390—392 

Tuberculosis,  Treatment  for,  389 

Tiiffer,  305 

Tunbridge  Wells,  349 

Tusnad,  352 


U 


Ueberlingen,  354 
Urberoaga  de  Alzola,  354 
Uriage,  352—354 

Uric  acid  diathesis,  Treatment  for, 
399-405 


Urinary  disorders,  Treatment  for, 

440—443 

Urticaria,  Treatment  for,  451 
Ussat,  355 
Uterine    fibroids,    Treatment    for, 

455 


Valdieri,  369 
Vallacabras,  369 
Vals,  355-358,  369 
Val  Sinestra,  369 
Vegri  di  Valdagno,  370 
Veldes,  370 
Vernet  les  Bains,  358 
Vicarello,  370 
Vichy,  359—368 
Vic  le  Comte,  370 
Vic  sur  Cere,  370 
Vidago,  370 
Villa,  243 
Villach,  370 
Vinadio,  370 
Viterbo,  370 
Vittel,  368 
Voeslau,  370 


\V 


Warasdin-Teplitz,  380 

Warmbad,  380 

Warmbrunn,  381 

Waters,       Mineral       (see      Mineral 

waters) 
Weilbach,  370 
Weissenburg,  371 
Werl,  381 
Werne,  381 
Wiesbaden,   372—375 
Wildbad,  375—377 
Wildbad-Gastein,   192-195 
Wildegg,  381 
Wildungen,  377—379 
Wimpfen,  381 
Wipfeld,  381 
Wittekind,  381 
Woodhall  Spa,  379 
Writer's  Cramp,  Treatment  for,  448 


Yverdon,  381 


Zaizon,  381 


INDEX   TO   PART   II. 


755 


II.-CLIMATES    AND    CLIMATIC    RESORTS,    AND 
DISEASES   TREATED    IN    THEM. 


Abbazia,   648 

Aberdeen,  536 

Aberdovey,  520 

Aberystwith,  520 

Achensee,  602 

Achill,  532 

Acireale,  651 

Adamello,  594 

Adelboden,  589,  597 

Airolo,  592 

Ajaccio,  649 

Alagna,  599 

Alassio,  693      . 

Aldeburgh,  528 

Algiers,  628-631;    Sanatoria  in,  744 

Allwal  North,  709 

Alps,  maritime,  Resorts  in  the,  695 

Alt-Prags,  595 

Alum  Bay,  509 

Amain,  647,  648 

Anaemia    and    chlorosis,    Climatic 

treatment  of,  734—736 
Andermatt,  587,  596 
Andes,  Resorts  in  the,  605 
Antibes,  680 
Appenzell,  603 
Arcachon,  551,  638—640 
Arco,  660 
Ardrossan,  535 
Arolla,  592 
Arosa,  581—583 
Arran,  Isle  of,  535 
Assouan,  614 

Asthma,  Climatic  treatment  of,  725 
Audierne,  551 
Australia,  710 
Avalon,  713 
Avants,  Les,  585,  601 
Avranches,  545 
Azores,  622 


B 


Bad  Fideris,  601 
Bad  Gurnigel,  599 
Ballybunnion,  532 
Baltic  resorts  (see  Continental  sea- 
side resorts) 
Bangor,  521 
Barbados,  711 
Barfleur,  545 
Barkley  West,  709 
Barmouth,  520 
Baths  of  Leuk,  596 
Beaufort  West,  709 
Beaulieu,  683—685 
Beaumaris,  521 
Bell-Alp,  590 
Berck-sur-Mer,  538 
Berg-Dievenon,  550 


Bermuda,  711 

Berwick,  North,  535 

Beuzeval,  543 

Bevers,  563 

Bexhill-on-Sea,  499 

Beyrout,  618 

Biarritz,  551,  640 

Birchington-on-Sea,  492 

Biskra,  633 

Blackpool,  522 

Blankenburghe.  548 

Bloemendaal,  549 

Bloemfontein,  608,  709 

Bognor,   504 

Bordighera,  689-692 

Boscastle,  517 

Boscombe,  509 

Boulder,  606 

Boulogne-sur-Mer,  538 

Bournemouth,  509 

Bray,  534 

Brennerbad,  595 

Bridlington  Quay,  525 

Brighton,  501—503 

Brittany  seaside  resorts  (see  Con- 
tinental seaside  resorts) 

Broadstairs,  494 

Bronchial  catarrh,  Climatic  treat- 
ment of,  722—725 

Bronchiectasis,  Climatic  treatment 
of,  724 

Brought;  Ferry,  536 

Bude,  517 

Budleigh  Salterton,  512 

Buncrana,  532 

Bundoran,  532 

Burgenstock,  602 

Burghersdorf,  709 


Cabourg,  544 

Cairo,  613 

Calais,  538 

Caledon,  709 

California,  Southern,  712—714 

Campfer,  561 

Canary  Islands,  622—627 

Cancale,  545 

Cannes,  676—680 

Canon  City,  607 

Cap  de  la  Hague,  545 

Cape  Town,  709 

Capri,  655—657 

Cardiac  affections,  Climatic  treat- 
ment of,  726 

Castellamare  di  Stabia,  647 

Catania,  650 

Catarrh,  chronic,  Ciimatic  treat- 
ment of,  722-725,  729 

Caux,  585 

Celerina,  562 


756 


INDEX   TO   PART   II. 


Ceres,  709 

Ceresole-lleale,  594 

Certosa  di  Pesio,  Baths  of,  695 

Chamounix,  600 

Champery,  596 

Chandolin,  592 

Channel  Islands,  546 

Charnex,  603 

Chateaux  d'Oex,  600 

Chaumont,  600 

Cheimsee  Hotel,  604 

Cherbourg,  545 

Chesiere,  598 

Chlorosis,  Climatic  treatment  of, 
734—736 

Circulatory  system,  Climatic  treat- 
ment of  diseases  of,  726 

Clacton-on-Sea,  528 

Classification,  of  Climates,  475-477 ; 
of  English  and  Welsh  seaside 
resorts,  529—531 

Clavadel,  581 

Climacteric  period  in  women,  Cli- 
matic treatment  of,  737 

Climates-,  457—475;  Classification 
of,  475—477;  Characters  and 
restorative  action  of  sea  and 
mountain,  478—491;  Applica- 
tion and  selection  of,  715—739 

Clovelly,  517 

Colorado  Springs,  606 

Colwyn  Bay,  522 

Comballaz,  597 

Concarneau,  551 

Consumption,  Mountain-air  euro 
for,  566—580;  Climatic  treat- 
ment of,  716^722 

Continental  seaside  resorts,  538 — 554 

Convalescence,  Climatic  treatment 
of,  738 

Con  way,  521 

Cordilleras,  Resorts  in  the,  605 

Corfu,  654 

Coronado  Beach,  712 

Corsica,  649 

Cortina,  595 

Costebelle,  675 

Courmayeur,  598 

Courseulles,  544 

Cowes,  505 

Cradock,  709 

Cresta,  562 

Croisic,  Le,  552 

Cromer,  525—527 

Crotoy,  Le,  539 

Cruden  Bay,  537 

Cuzco,  605 


Davos  Dorfli,  567 
Davos  Platz,  566-569,  579 
Dawlish,  512 
Dax,  643 
Deauville,  542 
Denver,  605 

Diabetes,    Climatic    treatment    of, 
733 


Dieppe,  539 
Dinard,  546 
Dingle,  532 
Dissentis,  599 
Divonne,  604 
Donaghadee,  533 
Dornoch,  537 
Douarnenez,  551 
Dover,  496 
Dovercourt,  528 
Duin-en-Dal,  549 
Dunkirk,  538 

Dyspepsia,   Climatic  treatment  of, 
727 


Eastbourne,  499—501 
Eggischhorn,  590 
Egypt  as  a  winter  resort,  610—618 
Engadine,  Climatic  resorts  in  the, 

555 

Engelberg,  601 
England,       Seaside       resorts       in, 

492—519,   522—529;    Classification 

of  seaside  resorts  in,   529—531; 

Sanatoria  in,  742 
Engstlen  Alp,  591 
Estes  Park,  607 
Etretat,  541 
Evolena,  597 
Exmouth,  512 
Eze,  685 


Falmouth,  516 

Fecamp,  540 

Felixstowe,  528 

Felsenegg,  602 

Filey,  525 

Flushing,  516 

Folkestone,  495 

France,    Sanatoria    in,    744.     (Each 

resort  is  under  its  own  name) 
Freshwater  Bay,  509 
Frohburg,  603 
Funchal,  620—622 


Gals,  601 

Gastein,  596 

Geissbach  Hotel,  604 

Genoa,  635 

Gerardmer,  603 

Germany,  Sanatoria  in,  745.     (Each 

resort  is  under  its  own  name) 
Gibraltar,  645 
Glengariff,  532 
Glenwood,  607 
Glion,  575,  586 
Gorbio,  689 
Gorleston-on-Sea,  527 


INDEX   TO  PART  II. 


757 


Gornergrat,  590 
Gossensass,  588 

Gout,  Climatic  treatment  of,  732 
Grahamstown,  709 
Grange,  523 
Granville,  545 
Grape  Cure,  663 
Grasse,  680 

Graves'     disease,     Climatic     treat- 
ment of,  730—732 
Great  Yarmouth,  527 
Gressonay-la-Trinite,   594 
Gressonay  St.  Jean,  594 
Greystones,  534 
Gries,  595 
Grindelwald,  600 
Gryon,  600 
Guimar,  626 


H 

Hsemoglobinuria,   paroxysmal,  Cli- 
matic treatment  of,  736 

Haifa,  618 

Hammam  Meskoutine,  632 

Hammam  R'Irha,  631 

Harrismith,  709 

Harwich,  528 

Hastings,  498 

Havre,  Le,  542 

Hay    asthma,    Climatic    treatment 
of,  726 

Hayling  Island,  504 

Heart    affections,    Climatic    treat- 
ment of,  726 

Heiden,  575,  603 

Heiligenblut,  595 

Heiligen  Damm,  550 

Heligoland,  549 

Helouan  les  Bains,  613 

Hendaye,  641 

Heringsdorf,  550 

Herne  Bay,  492 

Heyst,  548 

Hochenschwand,  601 

Hohlenstein,  595 

Hohwald,  604 

Hollywood,  533 

Home-Varaville,  544 

Honfleur,  542 

Hospenthal,   596 

Houle,  La,  546 

Houlgate,  543 

Howth,  534 

Huancayo,  604 

Huelva,  646 

Hunstanton,  525 

Hyeres,  673—675 

Hysteria     Climatic    treatment    of, 
toV-  -it>2, 

Hythe,  498 


Idyll-wild,  714 
Ilfracombe,  518 


Innsbruck,  663 

Insomnia,    Climatic    treatment   of, 

Ireland,  Seaside  resorts  in,  531—534  • 
Sanatoria  in,  743 

Isle  of  Arran,  535 

Isle  of  Wight,  505—509 

Italy,  Sanatoria  in,  744.  (Each  re- 
sort is  under  its  own  name) 


Jamaica,  710 
Jauja,  604 


K 


Karrersee,  The,  594 

Kilkee,  532 

Kilrush,  532 

Kimberley,  709 

Klosters,  "601 

Knock  e,  548 

Kochel,  604 

Kolberg,  551 

Kranz,  551 

Kurhaus  Axenstein,  579 


Ladis,  595 

Lago  Mesurina,  595 

Laguna,  626 

La  Houle,  546 

Langrune-sur-Mer,  544 

La  Paz,  605 

Largo,  536 

Laryngeal    catarrh,    chronic,    Cli- 

matic  treatment  of    722—725 
Las  Palmas,  623 
La  Tremblade,  552 
Le  Croisic,  552 
Le  Crotoy,  539 
Le  Havre,  542 
Lengenfeld,  596 
Lenk,  600 

Les  Avants,  585   601 
Les  Petites  Dalles,  541 
Les  Sables  d'Olonne,  552 
Le  Treport,  539 
Leysin,  583 
Lima,  604 
Lion-sur-Mer,   544 
Littlehampton,  503 
Littlestone-on-Sea,  498         • 
Llandudno,  521 
Locarno,  659 
Long  Beach,  713 
Los  Angeles,  713 
Lower  Engadine,   Climatic   resorts 

in  the,  565 
Lowestoft,  527 
.uc-sur-Mer,  544 
igano,  659 
Luxor,  614 


75« 


INDEX  TO  PART   II. 


Lyme  Eegis,  511 
Lynmouth,  518 
Lynton,  518 


M 


Macugnaga,  594 

Madeira,  619—622 

Maderaner-Thal,  596 

Magglingen,  602 

Malaga,  643—645 

Malahide,  534 

Malarial  cachexia,  Climatic  treat- 
ment of,  736 

Mallirany,  532 

Malta,  653 

Manitou  Park,  607 

Margate,  493 

Maritzburg,  710 

Mena  House,  613 

Mentone,  685—689 

Meran,  661—663 

Mexico,  605 

Milford-on-Sea,  509 

Milltown-Malbay,  532 

Misdroy,  550 

Mistral  wind,  671 

Mogador,  627 

Monaco,  685 

Monnetier,  603 

Montana,  584 

Mont  de  Caux,  585 

Monte  Carlo,  685 

Monte  Generoso,  599 

Monterey,  714 

Montreux,  657—659 

Morecambe,  523 

Morgins,  596 

Morocco,  627 

Mountain  air,  Characters  and  re- 
storative action  of,  478—491 

Mountain  climatic  resorts,  555 — 608 

Mountain  sickness,  Symptoms  of, 
487 

Mount  Pilatus,  591 

Mumbles,  519 

Mundesley,  527 

Miirren,  593 


N 


Nairn,  537 

Naples,  646,  647 

Nassau,  710 

Nephritis,  chronic,  Climatic  treat- 
ment of,  728 

Nervi,  635 

Nervous  affections,  Climatic  treat- 
ment of,  730—732 

Neuralgia,  Climatic  treatment  of, 
730—732 

Neurasthenia,  Climatic  treatment 
of,  730—732 

Neuritis,  Climatic  treatment  of, 
730—732 

New  Brighton,  522 

Newcastle,  534 


Newport  (Ireland),  532 
New  Prags,  595 
Newquay,  517 
New  Zealand,  710 
Nice,  681—683 
Niederdorf,  595 
Nieuport  Bains,  548 
Norderney,  550 
North  Berwick,  535 
North  Sea  resorts  (see  Continental 
and  English  seaside  resorts) 


Oban,  535 
Obermais,  662 
Obertsdorf,  603 
Obladis,  595 
Orezza,  650 
Ormond  Dessus,  597 
Orotava,  624—626 
Orriccieth,  520 
Ospedaletti,  692 
Ostend,  548 


Paimpol,  547 

Palermo,  651—653 

Parknasilla,  532 

Paroxysmal  hsemoglobinuria,  Cli- 
matic treatment  of,  736 

Pasadena,   713 

Pau,  642 

Pax,  La,  605 

Pegli,  694 

Penarth,  519 

Penmaenmawr,  521 

Penzance,  516 

Peruvian  Andes,  Kesorts  in,  604 

Pharyngeal  catarrh,  chronic,  Cli- 
matic treatment  of,  724 

Phthisis  (see  Consumption) 

Pleurisy,  chronic,  Climatic  treat- 
ment of,  725 

Pontresina,  563 

Pornic,  551 

Portrush,  533 

Port  Stewart,  533 

Pragser-Wildsee,  595 

Pralognan,  596 

Promontogno,  600 

Pueblo,  605 

Pulmonary  emphysema,  Climatic 
treatment  of,  722—724 

Pwllheli,  520 

Pyelitis,  chronic,  Climatic  treat- 
ment of,  729 


fcueenstown,  531 
fcuito,  605 


INDEX  TO   PART  II. 


759 


Ragenwalde,  551 

Ramsgate,  495 

Rapallo,  636 

Redcar,  523 

Rheumatism,    Climatic    treatment 

of,  732 
Rheumatoid      arthritis,      Climatic 

treatment  of,  732 
Rhone  Glacier  Hotel,  593 
Rliyl,  522 
Rieder-Alp,  591 
Rieder  Furka,  591 
Riffel-Alp,  589 
Riffel-berg,  589 
Rigi,  The,  592 
Riva,  660 

Riviera  di  Levante,  634 
Riviera,  Western,  665—696 
Rocky      Mountains,      Resorts      in, 

605-608 
Rome,  646 
Roscoff,  547 
Rostrevor,  533 
Rothesay,  534 
Royan,  551 
Ryde,  505 


S.  Vaast  la  Hogue,  544 

Saanen,  600 

St.  Andrews,  536 

St.  Aubin-sur-Mer,  544 

St.  Beatenberg,  587,  599 

St.  Bees,  523 

St.  Blasien,  603 

St.  Cergnes,  600 

St.  Dalmas  di  Tendi,  695 

St.  Helens,  506 

St.  Ives,  517 

St.  Jean  de  Luz,  641 

St.  Leonards,  498 

St.  Malo,  546 

St.  Margaret's  Bay,  495 

St.  Martin  Lantosque,  695 

St.  Moritz,  555—559;  as  a  winter  re- 
sort, 569 

St.  Pair,  545 

St.  Raphael,  675 

St.  Val6ry  en  Caux,  540 

St.  Valery-sur-Somme,  539 

Salcombe,  516 

Saltburn-on-the-Sea,  523 

Samaden,  562 

Sanatoria,  Treatment  in,  739—742; 
List  of,  742—745 

San  Barnardino,  593 

Sandgate,  497- 

San  Diego,  712 

Sandown,  506 

San  Lucar,  646 

San  Lui  Park,  607 

San  Remo,  692 

San  Sebastian,  641 

Santa  Barbara,  713 

Santa  Catarina,  593 

Santa  Cruz,  624 

Santa  F6  de  Bogota,  605 


Santa  Margherita,  636 

Santa  Monica,  713 

Sassnitz,  550 

Scarborough,  524 

Scheideck,  Great,  591 

Scheveningen,  548 

Schliersee,  603 

Schluchsee,  602 

Schlucht,  599 

Schluderbaoh,  595 

Schonbrunn,  603 

Schonfels,  602 

Schrocken,  598 

Schwarzsee,  590 

Scilly  Islands,  516 

Scotland,  Seaside  resorts  in,  534— 
537;  Sanatoria  in,  743 

Scrofula,  Climatic  treatment  of,  736 

Sea  air,  Characters  and  restorative 
action  of,  478—491 

Seaford,  501 

Seaside  resorts:  English,  492—519, 
522—531;  Welsh,  519-522;  Irish, 
531—534 ;  Scottish,  534—537 ; 
Continental,  538—554 

Sea  voyages,  Advantages  and  dis- 
advantages of,  697—708 

Seelisberg,  603 

Seewis,  574,  601 

Semmering,  596 

Senility,  Climatic  treatment  of,  738 

Sestri  Levante,  636 

Seville,  646 

Shanklin,  507 

Sheringham,  527 

Sicily,  650 

Sidmouth,  512 

Silloth,  523 

Sils,  560 

Silva  Plana,  561 

Sirocco  wind,  671 

Soglio,  600 

Sorrento,  647 

South  Africa,  Resorts  in,  608, 
708—710 

Southbourne-on-Sea,  510 

Southend,  529 

Southport,  522 

Southsea,  504 

Southwold,  528 

Spanish  seaside  resorts,  553 

Spezia,  637 

Starnberg,  604 

Steinach,  595 

Stonehaven,  536 

Stoos  Hotel  and  Kurhaus,  597 

Sulden,  592 

Summer  mountain  resorts,  589—608 

Swanage,  510 

Swinemunde,  550 

Switzerland,  Sanatoria  in,  745. 
(Each  resort  is  under  its  own 
name) 

Syria,  Winter  resorts  in,  618 


Tabes  dorsalis,  Climatic  treatment 
of,  730—732 


760 


INDEX   TO   PART  II. 


Tacaronte,  626 
Tangier,  627 
Taormina,  651 
Tarasp-Bad,  565 
Tasmania,  710 
Teignmouth,  513 
Tenby,  519 

Thorencs,  Valley  of,  695 
Thusis,  574,  603 
Tintagel,  517 
Toblach,  595 
Torquay,  514 
Totland  Bay,  509 
Towyn,  520 
Trafoi,  594 
Tralee,  532 

Tramontana  wind,  672 
Tramore,  531 
Travemunde,  550 
Treguier,  547 
Tremblade,  La,  551 
Treport,  Le,  539 
Triberg,  603 
Trieste,  553 
Trouville,  542 
Turkastad,  709 
Turma,  604 


U 


Uetliberg  Hotel,  602 
TJntermais,  662 

Upper  Engadine,   Climatic   resorts 
in  the,  555—565 


Valdieri,  Baths  of,  695 
Valescure,  675 
Ventnor,  507-509 

Vesical    catarrh,     Climatic    treat- 
ment of,  729 
Veules,  540 
Viareggio,  553,  637 
Vilaflor,  626 
Villars-sur-Allon,  598 
Villers-sur-Mer,  543 
Villerville,  542 
Vinadio,  695 


Vorauen,  603 
Vorder-Todtmoos, 
Vulpera,  565 


603 


W 


Waidring,  603 

Walchensee,  603 

Waldhaus-Flims,  599 

Wales,  Seaside  resorts  in,  519—522; 
Classification  of  seaside  resorts 
in,  529-530;  Sanatoria  in,  742 

Walton-on-the-Naze,   528 

Warnemiinde,  550 

Waterville,  532 

Weissbad,  603 

Weissenstein  (in  Carinthia),  595 

Weissenstein  (in  Swiss  Jura),  597 

Wengern  Alp,  591 

Westerplatte,  551 

Westgate-on-Sea,  493 

West  Indian  Islands,  710 

Weston-super-Mare,  519 

Westport,  532 

Westward  Ho,  517 

Weymouth,  511 

Whitby,  523 

Wiesen,  581 

Wildbad  Innichen,  595 

Winter  and  summer  mountain  re- 
sorts, 555—589 

Winter  health  resorts,  609—696 

Worthing,  503 


Yarmouth,   Great,   527 
Yarmouth  (Isle  of  Wight),  509 
Yport,  541 


Zandvoort,  549 
Zell-am-See,  603 
Zermatt,  594 
Zinal,  594 
Zoppot,  551 
Zng,  565 


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14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 


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This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 

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Tel.  No.  '642-2511 

OCT  3  1  1972 

kJk9 

,x 

^ 

^ 

yw^swy 

VniiP 

t  fi  iv  j        c\    1O7O 

JAN     9  iy/o 

Subject  to  Kecall 
Immediately 

DEC  13  1977 

AUG  3  0  1979 

&fT.  ^3d 

(fCT    51979 

LD  21-40m-2,'69 
(J6057slO)476 — A-32 


General  Library 

University  of  California 

Berkeley 


